The vision and creed of Piers Ploughman. Edited, from a contemporary manuscript, with a historical introduction, notes, and a glossary, by Thomas Wright. In two volumes. Second and revised edition

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IQPRARY OF OLD AUTHORS.

The following works are already published, or in preparation;
several others are in contemplation, and the Publisher will gladly
receive any further suggestions.

The Dramatic and Poetical Works of John Mabston. Now
first collected, and edited by J. O. Halliwell. 3 vols. 15*.

"A poet of distinguished celebrity in his own day, no less
admired for the versatility of his genius in tragedy and comedy,
than dreaded for the poignancy of his satire ; in the former de-
partment the colleague of Jonson, in the latter the antagonist of
Hall."— Rev. P. Hall.

The Vision and Creed of Piers Ploughman. Edited by Thomas
Wright ; a new edition, revised, with additions to the Notes
and Glossary. 2 vols. 10*.

" Like all Middle-English Poems written on the principle of
alliteration, the 'Vision of Piers Ploughman' abounds in philo-
logical difficulties ; and these are increased by the fact that no
satisfactory edition of the text had yet appeared (till the present
time). The poem itself is exceedingly interesting. Whoever the
writer was, he wrote well. He was a keen observer of human
nature ; alive to the abuses which prevailed in Church and State
at the period when he lived, and equally competent and willing to
expose them. Along with the most pungent satire and the sternest
invective there are interspersed, throughout his work, passages of
a different character, — touches exhibiting a deep perception of
the gentler feelings of human nature, — fines which in harmony
and grace and beauty would not suffer by a comparison with the
more admired productions of the courtly Chaucer." — Athenaeum.

" The Vision of • Piers Ploughman* is one of the most precious
and interesting monuments of the English Language and Litera-
ture, and also of the social and political condition of the country

during the fourteenth century Its author is not certainly

known, but its time of composition can, by internal evidence, be
fixed at about the year 1362. On this and on all matters bearing
upon the origin and object of the Poem, Mr. Wright's historical

introduction gives ample information In the thirteen

years that have passed since the first edition of the present text
was published by the late Mr. Pickering, our old literature and
history have been more studied, and we trust that a large circle of
readers will be prepared to welcome this cheaper and carefully
revised reprint." — Literary Gazette.

[Continued at the end.

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KONINKLIJKE BIBLIOTHEEK

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THE VISION AND CREED

PIERS PLOUGHMAN.

FROM A CONTEMPORARY MANUSCRIPT,

WITH A HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION,
NOTES, AND A GLOSSARY,

By THOMAS WRIGHT, MA. E.S.A. &c.

Corresponding Member of the Imperial Institute of France,
Acad6niie des Inscriptions et Belles-Iiettres.

IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.

SECOND AND REVISED EDITION.

LONDON:

JOHN BUSSELL SMITH,

SOHO SQUARE.

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TUCKER AND CO., PRINTERS,
PERRY'S PLACE, OXFORD STREET.

Digitized by

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

T is now thirteen years since the first edition
of the following text of this important poem
was published by the late Mr. Pickering,
during which time the study of our old literature and
history has undergone considerable development, and it
is believed that a reprint at a more moderate price
would be acceptable to the public. Holding still the same
opinion which he has always held with regard to the
superior character of the manuscript from which this text
was taken, the editor has done no more than carefully
reprint it, but, in order to make it as useful as he could,
he has revised and made additions to both the Notes and
the Glossary.

The remarkable poem of The Vision of Piers Ploughman
is not only so interesting a monument of the English

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PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

language and literature, but it is also so important an
illustration of the political history of our country during
the fourteenth century, that it deserves to be read far
more generally than it has been, and the editdr will
rejoice sincerely if he should have contributed by this new
edition to render it more popular, and place it within the
reach of a greater number of readers. Independent of its
historical and literary importance, it contains many beau-
ties which will fully repay the slight labour required to
master its partially obsolete language, and, as one of the
purest works in the English tongue as it existed during
the century in which it was composed, it is to be hoped
that, when the time shall at length arrive when English
antiquities and English philology and literary history are
at length to be made a part of the studies in our univer-
sities and in the higher classes of our schools, the work of
the Monk of Malvern, as a Jink between the poetry and
language .of the Anglo-Saxon and those of modern
England, will be made a prominent text-book.

THOMAS WEIGHT.

14, Sydney Stbeet, Bbomptof,
Abo. 1865.

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INTRODUCTION.

^|HE History of the Middle Ages in England,

as in other countries, represents to us a series
M of great consecutive political movements, co-
existent with a similar series of intellectual
revolutions in the mass of the people. The vast mental
developement caused by the universities in the twelfth
century led the way for the struggle to obtain religious
and political liberty in the thirteenth. The numerous
political songs of that period which have escaped the hand
of time, and above all the mass of satirical ballads against
the Church of Eome, which commonly go under the name
of Walter Mapes, are remarkable monuments of the intel-
lectual history of our forefathers. Those ballads are
written in Latin ; for it was the most learned class of the
(immunity which made the first great stand against the
encroachments and corruptions of the papacy and the
increasing influence of the monks. We know that the
struggle alluded to was historically unsuccessful. The
baronial wars ended in the entire destruction of the popular
leaders ; but their cause did not expire at Evesham ; they
had laid foundations which no storm could overthrow, not

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INTRODUCTION.

placed hastily on the uncertain surface of popular favour,
but fixed deeply in the public mind. The barons, who had
fought so often and so staunchly for the great charter, had
lost their power ; even the learning of the universities had
faded under the withering grasp of monachism ; but the
remembrance of the old contest remained, and what was
more, its literature was left, the songs which had spread
abroad the principles for which, pr against which, English-
men had fought, carried them down (a precious legacy) to
their posterity. Society itself had undergone an important
change ; it was no longer a feudal aristocracy which held
the destinies of the country in its iron hand. The plant
which had been cut off, took root again in another (a heal-
thier) soil ; and the intelligence which had lost its force in
the higher ranks of society began to spread itself among
the commons. Even in the thirteenth century, before the
close of the baronial wars, the complaints so vigorously
expressed in the Latin songs, had begun, both in England
and France, to appear in the language of the people.
Many of the satirical poems of Eutebeuf and other contem-
porary writers against the monks, are little more than
translations of the Latin poems which go under the name
of Walter Mapes.

During the successive reigns of the first three Edwards,
the public mind in England was in a state of constant
. fermentation. On the one hand, the monks, supported by
the popish church, had become an incubus upon the
country. Their corruptness and immorality were noto-
rious : the description of their vices given in the satirical
writings of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries exceeds
even the bitterest calumnies of the age of Rabelais or the

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INTRODUCTION.

vii

reports of the commissioners of Henry the Eighth. 1 The
populace, held in awe by the imposing appearance of the
popish church, and by the religious belief which had been
instilled into them from their infancy, were opposed to the
monks and clergy by a multitude of personal griefs and
jealousies : these frequently led to open hostility, and in
the chronicles of those days we read of the slaughter of
monks, and the burning of abbeys, by the insurgent
towns-people or peasantry. At the same time, while the
monks in revenge treated the commons with contempt,
there were numerous people who, under the name of
Lollards and other such appellations, — led sometimes by
the love of mischief and disorder, but more frequently by
religious enthusiasm, — whose doctrines were simple and
reasonable (although the church would fain have branded
them all with the title of heretics), — went abroad among
the people preaching not only against the corruptions of
the monks, but against the most vital doctrines of the
church of Borne, and, as might be expected, they found
abundance of listeners. On the other hand, a new political
system, and the embarrassments of a continued series of
foreign wars, were adding to the general ferment. Instead
of merely calling together the great feudal barons to lead
their retainers to battle, the king was now obliged to*
appeal more directly to the people ; and at the same time
the latter began to feel the weight of taxation, and conse-

1 See the "Apocalypsis Golise " and other pieces in the poems of Walter Mapes ;
the Order of Fair Ease in the Political Songs, and the Poems of Rntebenf ; and,
in English, the remarkable " Poem on the Evil Times of Edward II." in the
appendix to the Political Songs. The Poem entitled the Order of Pair Ease
bears some resemblance to the Ablaye de Tkeleme of Rabelais.

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INTRODUCTION.

quently they began to talk of the defects and the connip-
tions of the government, and to raise the cries, which have
since so often been heard, against the king's "evil
advisers." These cries were justified by many real and
great oppressions under which the commons, and more
particularly the peasantry suffered ; and (as the king and
aristocracy were too much interested in the continuance of
the abuses complained of to be easily induced to agree to
an effective remedy), the commons began to feel that
their own interests were equally opposed to those of the
church, of the aristocracy, and of the crown, and amidst
the other popular doctrines none were more loudly or more
violently espoused than those of levellers and democrats.
These, though comparatively few, aggravated the evil, by
affording a pretence for persecution. The history of
England during the fourteenth century is a stirring picture;
its dark side is the increasing corruption of the popish
church; its bright side, the general spread of popular
intelligence, and the firm stand made by the commons in
the defence of their liberties, and in the determination to
obtain a redress of grievances.

Under these circumstances appeared Piers Ploughman .
It is not to be supposed that all the other classes of society
•were hostile to the commons. The people, with the
characteristic attachment of the Anglo-Saxons to the family
of their princes, wished to believe that their king was
always their friend, when not actuated by the counsels of
his "evil advisers ;" 2 several of the most powerful barons

2 This sentiment was perpetuated in a numerous class of ballads, in which
the monarch is represented as thrown incognito among the lower classes, as

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INTRODUCTION.

ix

stood forward as the champions of popular liberty ; and
many of the monks , quitted their monasteries to advocate
the cause of the reformation. It appears to be generally
agreed that a monk was the author of the poem of Piers
Ploughman ; but the question, one perhaps but of secondary
importance, as to its true writer, is involved in much
obscurity. 3 Several local allusions and other circumstances

listening to their expressions of loyalty and to the tale of their sufferings. See
the " Tale of King Edward and the Shepherd" in Hartshorne's Ancient Metrical
Tales; "The King and the Barker," in Bitson's Pieces of Ancient Popular
Poetry ; "The King and the Miller," and " King Edward IV. and the Tanner of
Tamworth," in Percy's ReUques ; &c. The earliest known form of this tale is
the story of " Henry II. and the Cistercian Abbot," printed from Giraldus
Cambrensis in the Reliquia Jntiquia, vol. ii. p. 147-

8 It was at least a tradition early in the sixteenth century (for we have no
means now of ascertaining whether there were any substantial grounds for the
statement), that the author was named Robert Longlande (or Langlande), that
he was born at Cleobury Mortimer in Shropshire, and that (after receiving his
education at Oxford) he became a monk of Malvern. I do not think, with
Tyrwhitt and Price, that the name Wil, given in the poem to the dreamer, neces-
sarily shows that the writer's name was William; and still less that the mention
of " Kytte my wif " and " Calote my doghter" p. 395 of the present volume)*
and of the dreamer's having resided at Cornhili, refer to the family and residence
of the author of the poem. If he were a monk (as appears probable, by his inti-
mate acquaintance with the Scriptures and the Fathers), he would not be mar-
ried. Sir Frederick Madden discovered a very important entry in a hand of the
fifteenth century on the fly-leaf of a manuscript of Piers Ploughman in the
library of Trinity College, Dublin, to the following effect—" Memorandum, quod
Stacy de Rokayle, pater Wiilielmi de Langlond, qui Stacius fuit generosus, et
morabaturin Schiptone under Whicwode, tenens domini Le Spenser in comitatu
Oxon., qui pradictus Willielmus fecit librum qui vocatur Perys Ploughman." —
It would perhaps be not impossible to trace the name and history of this Stacy
de Rokayle; but till that be done, I do not think this memorandum ought to be
considered as overthrowing the old tradition relating to Robert Longlande. It
may be mentioned as a remarkable specimen of the patriotism of David
Buchanan, that he lays claim to the author of Piers Ploughman as a Scotch-
man: — "Robertus Langland, natione Scotus, professione sacerdos, vir ex
obscuris ortus parentibus, pius admodum et ingeniosus et zelo divinee glorire
plenus j inter monachos Benedictinos educatus in civitate Aberdonensi, viraeque
erat in omni humaniore literatura insigniter doctus, et in medicina admodum

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INTRODUCTION.

seem to prove that it was composed on the borders of
.Wales, where had originated most of the great political
struggles, and we can hardly doubt that its author resided
in the neighbourhood of " Malverne hilles." We have less
difficulty in ascertaining its date. At 11. 1735-1782, we
have, without doubt, an allusion to the treaty of Bretigny,
in 1360, and to the events which preceded it : in the ear-
lier part of this passage there is an allusion to the sufferings
of the English army in the previous winter campaign, to
the retreat which followed, and the want of provisions
which accompanied it, and to the tempest which they
encountered near Chartres (the "dym cloude" of the
poem). The " pestilences' * mentioned at 1. 2497, were
the great plague which happened in 1348-9 (and which
had previously been alluded to in the opening of the poem,
L 168), and that of 1361-2,— the first two of the three
great pestilences which devastated our island in the four-
teenth century. The south-western wind, mentioned in
L 2500, occurred on the fifteenth day of January 1362.
It is probable that the poem of Piers Ploughman was com-
posed in the latter part of this year, when the effects of the
great wind were fresh in people's memory, and when the
treaty of Bretigny had become a subject of popular dis-
content. 4

clarus, pium opus sermone vulgare scripBit cui iniposuit, H Visionem Petri Ara-
toris, lib. 1. 1| Pro conjugio sacerdotum, lib. 1. II Claruit anno Christi Redemp-
toris, 1369. Regnante Davide Secundo in Scotia."— Dav. Buchanan, de Scripto-
ribus Scotis. MS. Bibl. Univ. Edin.

* We may mention another historical allusion in Piers Ploughman, which
seems to involve a chronological difficulty ; the dry April in the mayoralty of
John Chichester, 1. 8567. It appears clear that this is an allusion to a remark-
able drought in the year 1351, which answers precisely to a calculation of the

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INTRODUCTION.

The poem was given to the world under a name which
could not fail to draw the attention of the people. Amid
the oppressive injustice of the great and the vices of their
idle retainers, the corruptions of the clergy, and the dis-
honesty which too frequently characterised the dealings of
merchants and traders, the simple unsophisticated heart of
the ploughman is held forth as the dwelling of virtue and
truth. It was the ploughman, and not the pope with his
proud hierarchy, who represented on earth the Saviour
who had descended into this world as the son of the car-
penter, who had lived a life of humility, who had wandered
on foot or ridden on an ass. " While God wandered on
earth," says one of the political songs of the beginning of
the fourteenth century, 6 " what was the reason that he would
not ride ?" The answer expresses the whole force of the
popular sentiment of the age : " because he would not
have a retinue of greedy attendants by his side, in the
shape of grooms and servants, to insult and oppress the
peasantry."

At the period when this poem was first published,
England, in common with the rest of Europe, had been
struck with a succession of calamities. Little more than
twelve years had passed since a terrible pestilence had
swept away perhaps not less than one-half of the popula-

date given in the text, in which all the manuscripts that I have consulted agree.
But the only year in which Chichester is said to have been mayor was 1368-9
according to some, or 1369-70 according to others. Stowe (as quoted in the
note on this passage) has altered the text of Piers Ploughman to suit the year
in which Chichester is known to have been mayor : yet there can be little doubt
(even from the allusion to the treaty of Bretigny) that the poem itself was com-
posed before that date, and therefore the same or another Chichester had pro-
bably been mayor before.
* Political Songs, p. 240.

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INTRODUCTION.

tion. 6 The lower classes, ill fed and neglected, perished
by thousands, while the higher ranks — the proud and
pampered nobility — escaped ; " he who was ill nourished
with unsubstantial food," says a contemporary writer,
" fell before the slightest breath of the destroyer ; to the
poor, death was welcome, for life is to them more cruel
than death. But death respected princes, nobles, knights,
judges, gentlemen ; of these few die, because their life is
one of enjoyment." 7 It was the general belief that this
fearful visitation had been sent by God as a punishment

* This terrible calamity was said by the astrologers to have been brought
about by an extraordinary conjunction of Saturn with the other planets, which
happened scarcely once in a thousand years. An astrologer and physician, who
witnessed its effects, Symon de Covino, has left a Latin poem on the subject
under the title De Judicio Solis in Conviviis Saturni, in which he describes
Saturn as indulging his malevolence towards the human race by obtaining a
judgment against men for their sins. This opinion is alluded to in Piers
Ploughman, 1. 4463,

" And so seide Saturne,
And sente yow to warne."
The influence of this planet was represented by astrologers as being peculiarly
noxious, as is expressed in the following old distich : —

"Jupiter atque Venus boni, Saturnusque malignus,
Sol et Mercurius cum Luna sunt mediocres."

7 " Qui male pastus erat fragili virtute ciborum,
Labitur exiguo percussus flamine cladis ;
Indeque Saturni vulgus, pauperrima turba,
Grata morte cadunt, quia vivere talibus est mors.
Post quos lunares pereunt et mercuriales,
Et sic debilior succumbit in ordine primo;
Post alii tandem pestem secuntur eamdem.
Sed dea principibus et nobilibus, generosis,
Militibus, seu judicious fera Parca pepercit.
Karo cadunt tales, quia talibus est data vita
Dulcis in hoc mundo, quam gloria laudat inanis."

Symon de Covino, in the Bibliothcque de VEcoU des
Ckartes, torn, ii, p. 236.

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INTRODUCTION.

for the sins which had more particularly characterised the
higher orders of society ; yet, instead of profiting by the
warning, they became, during the years which followed,
prouder, more cruel and oppressive, and more licentious,
than before. Another pestilence came, which visited the
classes that had before escaped, and at the same time a
tempest such as had seldom been witnessed seemed to
announce the vengeance of heaven. The streets and roads
were filled with zealots who preached and prophesied of
other misfortunes, to people who had scarcely recovered
from the terror of those which were past. At this
moment the satirist stepped forth, and laid open with
unsparing knife the sins and corruptions which provoked
them.

From what has been said r it will be seen that the Latin
poems attributed to Walter Mapes, and the Collection of
Political Songs, form an introduction to the Vision of
Piers Ploughman. It seems clear that the writer was well
acquainted with the former, and that he not unfrequently
imitates them. The Poem on the Evil Times of Edward II.
already alluded to (in the Political Songs) contains
within a small compass all his chief points of accusation
against the different orders of society. But a new mode
of composition had been brought into fashion since the
appearance of the famous " Eoman de la Eose," and the
author makes his attacks less directly, under an allegorical
clothing. The condition of society is revealed to the
writer in a dream, as in the singular poem just mentioned,
and as in the still older satire, the Apocah/psis Golice; but
in Piers Ploughman the allegory follows no systematic
plot, it is rather a succession of pictures in which the

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INTRODUCTION.

allegorical painting sometimes disappears altogether, than
a whole like the Roman de la Rose, and it is on that
account less tedious to the modern reader, while the
vigorous descriptions, the picturesque ideas, and numerous
other beauties of different kinds, cause us to lose sight of
the general defects of this class of writings.
^ Piers Ploughman is, in fact, rather a succession of

- dreams, than one simple vision. The dreamer, weary of
the world, falls asleep beside a stream amid the beautiful
scenery of Malvern Hills. In his vision, the people of the
world are represented to him by a vast multitude assembled
in a fair meadow ; ,on one side stands the tower of Truth,
elevated on a mountain, the right aim of man's pilgrimage,
while on the other side is the dungeon of Care, the
dwelling place of Wrong. In the first sections (passw)

*of the poem are pictured the origin of society, the foun-
dation and dignity of kingly power, and the separation

- into different classes and orders. In the midst of his •

- astonishment at what he sees, a fair lady, the personi-
fication of "holy church," approaches, to instruct the
dreamer. She explains to him the meaning of the different
objects which had presented themselves to his view, and
shows by exhortations and examples the merit of content
and moderation, the danger of disobedience (exemplified in
the story of Lucifer's fall), and the eflicacy of love and
charity. In the midst of his conversation with his
instructor, a lady makes her appearance on the scene.
This is lady Mede, the personification of that mistaken
object at which so large a portion of mankind direct their
aim — the origin of most of the corruptions and evil deeds
in the world — not the just remuneration of our actions

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XT

which we look forward to in a future life, but the reward
which is sought by those who set all their hopes on the
present. Holy Church now quits the dreamer, who is left
to observe what is taking place amid the crowd in the
field. (Passus II.) They all pay their court to lady
Mede, who, by the intermediation of Cy vyle, or the law, is
betrothed in marriage to Falsehood. The marriage is
forbidden by Theology, and Cyvyle agrees to carry the
cause to London for judgment, contrary to the desire of
Simony. Falsehood and Flattery bribe the lawyers to aid
the former in his suit, but their designs are baffled by
Conscience, at whose suggestion the king takes the lady
into his own custody, and drives away Falsehood and
his greedy followers. Mede soon finds favour at court
(Pamts III.), and especially with the friars, who are ready
to absolve her of all her sins for a proper consideration,
The king proposes to marry her to Conscience ; who, how-
ever, declines the match, and as a reason for his refusal
gives a very unfavourable picture of the lady's previous life
and private character. Mede defends herself, and accuses
Conscience of thwarting and opposing the will and designs
of kings and great people. The dispute becoming hot,
the king interferes and orders Mede and Conscience to be
reconciled and kiss each other. (Passw IF.) This Con-
science refuses to do, unless by the advice of Eeason ; on
whose arrival, Peace comes into the parliament to make his
complaint against the cruel oppressions of Wrong.
Wrong is condemned, but Mede and the lawyers attempt
to get him off with the payment of a sum of money. The
king, however, allows himself to be guided by Eeason and
Conscience, expresses his dissatisfaction that law is influ-

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INTRODUCTION.

enced by Mede, and his determination to govern his realm
by the counsel of Eeason.

In a second vision (Passus F.\ the dreamer is again
carried to the " field full of folk," where Eeason has taken
upon himself the character of a preacher, and, fortified with
the king's authority, induces the various classes of sinners
to confess and repent. The personification of the different
sins forms perhaps the most remarkable part of the whole
poem. The multitude being thus converted from their
evil courses, are persuaded by Eepentance and Hope to set
out on a pilgrimage in search of Truth. In their ignorance
of the path which they must follow in this search, they
apply to a palmer who had wandered over a large portion
of the world in search of different saints ; but they find
him as little acquainted with the way as themselves.
They are helped out of this dilemma by Piers the Plough-
man, who, seeing them terrified by the difficulties of the
road, offers to be their guide, if they will wait till he has
sown his half acre. (Passu* VI.) In the mean time all
the pilgrims who have strength and skill, are employed on
some useful works, except the knight, who undertakes, in
return for the support which he is to derive from the
ploughman's labours, to watch and protect him against
plunderers and foreign enemies. The peace of the labourers
is first disturbed by Waster, who refuses to perform the
conditions by which the others are bound : the aid of the
knight being found inefficient against this turbulent gen-
tleman, the Ploughman is obliged to send for Hunger, who
effectually humbles him. This section of the poem is a
continued allusion to the effects of the famine and pesti-
lence, and a satire upon the luxurious and extravagant life

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xvii

of our forefathers in the fourteenth century. (Passtts VII.)
Truth, hearing of the intentions of Piers the Ploughman
to leave his labours in order to serve as a guide to
the pilgrims in their journey, sends him a messenger,
exhorting him to remain at home and continue his labours,
and giving him a "pardon," which was to embrace
all those who aided him honestly, by their works, and
who should carry on their various avocations in purity of
heart. The writer here takes occasion to sneer at the
" pardons" of the pope, then so much in vogue ; a priest
questions the legitimacy of Piers' bull of pardon, and the
altercation between them becomes so loud that the dreamer
awakes. The pardon of Piers Ploughman is granted to
those who do good works : the dreamer is lost in the
Speculation on the question as to what the good works are,
and he becomes engaged in a new pilgrimage, in search of
a person who has not appeared before, — Do-well.

(Passus VIII.) All hi3 inquiries after Do-well are
fruitless : even the friars, to whom he addresses himself,
give but a confused account ; and, weary with wandering
about, the dreamer is again overtaken by slumber.
Thought now appears to him, and recommends him to Wit,
who describes to him the residence of Do-well, Do-better,
and Do-best, and enumerates their companions and attend-
ants. (Passm IX.) The Castle of Do-well is an allego-
rical representation of man (the individual),, in which lady
Anima (the soul) is placed for safety, and guarded by a
keeper named Kynde (nature). With Do-well, the repre-
sentative of those who live according to truth in honest
wedlock, are contrasted the people who live in lust and
wickedness, the descendants of the murderer Cain, who

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INTRODUCTION.

was begotten by Adam in an evil hour. (Passu* X) Wit
has a wife named lady Study, who is angry that her spouse
should lay open his high truths to those who are unin-
itiated — it is no better than "throwing pearls to swine,
which would rather have hawes." Wit is daunted by his
wife's long lecture, and leaves the dreamer to pursue his
own suit. This he does with so much meekness and
humility, that the wrath of dame Study is appeased, and
she sends him to Clergy, with a token of recommendation
from herself. Clergy receives the pilgrim, and entertains
him with a long declamation on the character of Do-well,
Do-better, and Do-best, and on the corruptions of the
church and the monkish orders, in the course of which is
uttered the remarkable prophecy of the king who was to
" confess and beat" the monks, and give them an " incur-
able knock," which was after less than two centuries so
exactly fulfilled in the dissolution of the monasteries.
The wanderer confesses himself "little the wiser" for
Clergy's lecture, and by his pertness of reply merits a
reproof from Scripture. (Passus XI.) In another vision
the dreamer is exposed to the seductions of Fortune,
whose two fair damsels, Concupiscentiacarnis and Co-
vetousness-of-the Eyes, persuade him to enjoy the present
moment, and lead him entirely from his previous pursuit.
He is only recalled from his error by the approach of Old
Age, and then, he falls into the contemplation of a series of
subjects, the covetousness of the friars wno gave absolution
from motives of personal interest, predestination, &c.
Then Kynde, or Nature, came and carried him to a moun-
tain, which represented the world, and there showed him
how all other animals but man followed Eeason; and

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xix

Imaginative came after/ and told him that all his present
doubt and anxiety had been brought upon him for contend-
ing with Eeason and suffering himself to be led astray by
Fortune. (Passus XII.) The whole of the next section of
the poem is occupied with a long exhortation by Imagina-
tive, concerning God's chastisements, the merits of Charity
and Mercy, the greater responsibility before God of those
who are learned and cannot sin ignorantly, the difficulty
for the rich man to enter heaven.

{Passus XIII.) In another vision, Conscience meets
with the dreamer, and takes him to dine with Clergy.
Patience comes to the feast in beggar's weeds, but is seated
in the most honourable place at the table. A doctor of
the church is of the party, and distinguishes himself by his
gluttony; and by discussing theological questions after
dinner. At length Conscience and Patience go on a pil-
grimage. In their way they meet with a minstrel, named
Activa Vita, or Haukyn the Active-man, with a coat
covered with spots of dirt, whom they question on .his
mode of life. (Pasms XIV.) Haukyn the Active-man, the
representative of that class of people who neglect their
souls for their worldly affairs, excuses the dirtiness of his
apparel on the ground that he has none to change, and
that he has too many occupations to allow him time to
have it cleaned. Conscience and Patience teach him a
method to clean his coat, inform him where charity is to
be found, and recommend patient poverty to him, showing
him the advantage of poverty over riches. Haukyn's
repentance and lamentation for the neglect of his duties
awake the dreamer.

{Passus XV) Amid his anxiety to know something

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more certain of Do-well, the dreamer has another vision,
in which Soul appears to him, and enters into a long rela-
tion of the corruptions and negligence of the clergy.
(Passm XVI.) Soul finally sends him to Piers the Plough-
man, who possesses the garden in which the tree of Charity
grows, and which is rented under him by Free-will. Piers
explains to him the nature of the tree, and of the props
which support it ; and shakes down some of the fruit for
him. The allegory then changes, and we are introduced
to the birth and passion of the Saviour, as arising out of
the fruit of Charity. At this moment the dreamer awakes,
and therewith loses sight of Piers the Ploughman ; in his
anxiety to find Piers, he meets with Faith, in the garb of
Abraham, who was in search of God, now incarnate, and
who waited for his passion in order to be delivered from
hell. (Passm XVII) Then comes Spes, or Hope, who
also was in search of the knight that was to vanquish the
evil one. As they go along the way towards Jerusalem to
the " justes," discoursing on the obligations of the old and
new law and the abrogation of the former, they meet with
a man who had been left helpless by thieves, wounded and
naked : Faith and Hope passed by without helping him,
but the Samaritan, who was also riding to the "justes"
descended from his horse, bound his wounds, and deposited
him in an inn at the grange named Lex Christi. The
Samaritan gives the dreamer a singular explanation of the
mysteries of the Trinity ; and, after having represented to
him the heinousness of sins against the different persons,
and the necessity of making reparation, he pursues his way
to Jerusalem.

(Passm XVIII.) The vision which forms the eighteenth

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xxi

section or passus, and in which the character of Piers the
Ploughman is identified with that of the Saviour, is entirely
occupied with an allegorical description of Christ's Passion,
and his descent into Hell. {Passm XIX.) In the next
section the history of Christ's passion and victory, and his
figurative representative Piers the Ploughman, is continued.
Grace, through Piers the Ploughman, descends upon the
people, and lays the foundation of the Church, which is
cultivated by Piers with his four oxen (the four Evange-
lists). Piers is attacked by Pride, who gathers a great host
to assail the Church. Conscience advises the people who
follow Piers (the Church), to take shelter in the strong-
hold of Unity, and make preparations for their defence.
By the counsel of Kind-wit and Conscience they dig a
great ditch around Unity. The measures of Surety are
embarrassed by the unreasonable opposition of some mem-
bers or parts of the community, who oppose Piers's
doctrine of restitution — the brewer will not repent of the
tricks which he puts on his customers, the vicar adheres to
his simony, the lord will continue to oppress his tenants,
and the king will not be restrained by his laws. (Passus
XX.) In the last section of the poem, the dreamer, after
having been accosted by Need, who preaches on the virtues
of temperance, has a vision of Antichrist, who comes
to attack the Castle of Unity. It must be remembered
that at this period many people supposed that Antichrist
was already on the earth, and that he was the cause of all
the evils with which mankind was then visited, so that this
last notion brought the allegory home to people's feelings.
The standard-bearer of Antichrist was Pride. Conscience
called Kynde, or Nature, to his aid, who brought an army

c

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INTRODUCTION.

of diseases and pestilences. Death, one of his chief sol-
diers, made terrible havoc. At length Kind ceased his
ravages ; and a horde of enemies immediately arose against
Conscience, such as Fortune, Lechery, Covetousness,
Simony. Life, with his mistress Fortune, indulged in all
kinds of excess, until he was visited by Age and Despair,
who treated him very roughly. The dreamer, forsaken
by Fortune, and participating in the misfortunes of Life,
by the advice of Kynde takes shelter with Conscience in
the castle of Unity, which is threatened by an army of
priests and monks. At length this stronghold is endan-
gered by the entrance of Flattery, who is admitted in the
disguise of a Physician. Conscience, unable to retain
possession, embarks upon another pilgrimage in search of
Piers the Ploughman, and the dreamer awakes. This is
the conclusion of the poem. Whitaker thought that it
should have had a more consoling end; but it must be
remembered that the writer of Piers Ploughman designed
to paint the world as it was, and to describe the numerous
obstacles which lay in the way of the improvement and
amelioration of mankind when he wrote.

While one member of the monastic order was thus
contributing by his satirical pen towards producing a
reform among his countrymen, another monk was beginning
to preach in a still bolder manner against the popish
system. This was John Wycliffe, under whom the despised
lollards became an important sect. This attempt at reli-
gious reformation only formed part of the great movement
of the fourteenth century, which soon afterwards broke
out in the popular commotions of the reign of Eichard II.
The writer of Piers Ploughman was neither a sower of

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XXlll

sedition, nor one who would be characterized by his contem-
poraries as a heretic. The doctrines inculcated throughout
the book are so far from democratic, that he constantly
preaches the Christian doctrine of obedience to rulers.
Yet its tendency to debase the great, and to raise the
commons in public consideration, must have rendered it
popular among the latter: and, although no single im-
portant doctrin e of the popish religion is attacked, yet the
unsparing manner in which the vices and corruptions of
the churc h are laid open, must have helped in no small
degree the cause of the Reformation. Of the ancient
popularity of Piers Ploughman we have a proof in the
great number of copies which still exist, most of them
written in the latter part of the fourteenth centaury ; and
the circumstance'JEat the manuscripts are seldom executed
in a superior style of writing, and scarcely ever ornamented
with painted initial letters, may perhaps be taken as a
proof that they were not written for the higher classes of
society. From the time when it was published, the name
of Piers Ploughman became a favourite among the popular
reformers. 8 The earliest instance of the adoption of that

• We have a very remarkable proof of the popularity of Piers Ploughman with
the lower orders (among whom probably parts of it were repeated by memory),
and of its influence on the insurrections of the peasantry in the reign of
Richard II, in the seditious letter of John Ball to the commons of Essex, pre-
served by Thomas Walsingham. (Hist. Angl. p. 275.) I am not sure if "John
Sckep" may not contain an allusion to the opening of the poem; but the
second passage, here printed in Italics, refers evidently to Passus VI and VII,
and the third is an allusion to the characters of Do-well and Do-bet.

" John Schep sometime Seint Mary priest of Yorke, and now of Colchester,
graeteth well John Namelesse, and John the Miller, and John Carter, and
biddeth them that they beware of guyle in borough, and stand together in Gods
name, and biddeth Piers Plotoman goe to his toerke, and chastise well Hob the
robber, and take with you John Trewman, and all his fellows, and no moe .

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INTRODUCTION.

name for another satirical work is found in the Creed of
Piers Ploughman, printed also in the present volume, and
in which even the form of verse of the Vision is imitated.

In this latter poem, which was undoubtedly written by
a Wycliffite, Piers Ploughman is no longer an allegorical
personage — he is the simple representative of the peasant
rising up to judge and act for himself — the English sans-
culotte of the fourteenth century, if we may be allowed the
comparison. When it was written, a period of great
excitement had passed since the age of Langlande, the
reputed author of the "Vision — a period characterized by
the turbulence of the peasantry — which had witnessed in
France the fearful insurrection of the Jacquerie^ and in
England the rebellion of Wat Tyler and Jack Straw. 9

In Piers Ploughman's Creed it is the church simply, and
not the state, which is the object of attack. The clergy —
and more particularly the monks — are accused of having
falsified religion, and of being actuated solely by worldly
passions — pride, covetousness, self-love. The writer,
placing himself in the position of one who has just learnt
the first grounds of religious knowledge, is anxious to find
a person capable of instructing him in his creed, and with
this object he addresses himself to the different orders of

John the Miller hath y-ground smal, small, small. The kings sonne of heaven
shal pay for all. Beware or ye be woe, know your frende fro your foe, Have
ynough, and say hoe : And do well and better, and flee sinne, and seeke peace
and holde you therin, and so biddeth John Trewman and all his fellowes."

9 The mention of Wycliffe and of Walter Brute and other circumstances, fix
the date of Piers Ploughman's Creed with tolerable certainty in the latter years
of the reign of Richard II. It was probably written very soon after the year
1393, the date of the persecution of Walter Brute at Hereford; and from the
particular allusion to that person we may perhaps suppose that like the Vision
it was written on the Borders of Wales.

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friars. He applies first to the Minorites, who abuse the
Carmelites, and pride themselves in their own holiness.
Disgusted with their jealousies and self-sufficiency, the
inquirer seeks the Preachers, or Dominicans ; amid their
stately buildings, and under their sleek and well filled
skins, he finds the same want of Christian charity : their
pride drives him to the order of St. Austin. The Austin
Friars, as well as the Carmelites, will only instruct him
for money, and, shocked at their covetousness, he continues
his wanderings, until at last he meets with a poor Plough-
man, in whom he finds the charity and knowledge after
which he has been seeking. The Ploughman enters into
a bitter attack on the vices of all the four orders of friars :
he describes their spirit of persecution, exemplified in the
case of Wycliffe and others, and their simony ; speaks of
WyclifFe and Walter Brute as preachers of the truth ; and
finishes by teaching the inquirer his simple creed.

The Creed of Piers Ploughman was written by one who
approved the opinions of Wycliffe, and it seems to have
been carefully proscribed. There does not appear to exist
any manuscript older than the first printed edition.

The great popularity of the Yision of Piers Ploughman
in the fourteenth century, and its political influence, are
proved by another close imitation, which was composed
immediately after the capture, and previous to the depo-
sition, of king Richard II. This poem also appears to
have been proscribed, and we have only a fragment left,
which was printed from an unique manuscript for the
Camden Society. It also is composed in alliterative verse,
and its meaning is rendered obscure by a confused alle-
gorical style. It was evidently written towards the Welsh

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Border, perhaps at Bristol, which is mentioned in the
opening lines ; and it appears to have been intended as a
continuation of, or as a sequel to, Piers Ploughman, which
it immediately follows in the only manuscript in which it
is preserved.

Another early poem, of which the Ploughman is the
hero, was inserted in the works of Chaucer under the title
of the Ploughman's Tale. This, like the Creed, is free
from allegory ; and it differs from the others also in being
written in rhyme, and not in alliterative verse. The
Ploughman's Tale was probably written in the earlier half
of the fifteenth century. 10 It is a coarse attack on the

w Different circumstance* connected with this poem (which also appears to
hare been proscribed, for we have no early manuscript of it) lead me to suppose
that it was written in the refgn of Henry IV, when the burning of heretics came
into fashion, which is alluded to in the following stanza: —
" Were Christ on earth here, eftsoone

These would damne him to die :

All his hestes they han for-done,

And saine his sawes ben heresie :

And ayenst his commaundements they crie,

And damne all hit to be brende;

For it liketh^iot hem such losengerie,

God almighty hem amend!"
In another passage, the writer of this poem alludes to the Creed of Piers
Ploughman as though he were the author of it, and as a piece then known to
everybody.

« And all such other counterfaitours, '

Chanons, canons, and such disguised,

Been Gods enemies and traitours,

His true religion han foule despised.

Qtfreres I have told before,

In a making of a Crede;

And yet I could tell worse and more,

But men would werien it to rede."
Perhaps, however, the writer only claims the authorship of the Creed in his
allegorical character, as the representative of that class of satirical writers who
were then attacking the monastic orders.

INTRODUCTION.

different orders of the clergy, for their pride, covetousness,
and other vices. Its versification has little merit; and
there appears to be no good reason for inserting it among
the Canterbury Tales.

The Vision of Piers Ploughman appears to have con-
tinued to enjoy a wide popularity down to the middle of the
fifteenth century. We hear nothing of it from that period
to the middle of the sixteenth, when it was printed by the
reformers, and received with so much favour, that no less
than three editions, or rather three impressions, are said
to have been sold in the course of one year. Another
edition was printed at the beginning of the reign of Queen
Elizabeth ; and it appears to have been much read in the
latter part of the sixteenth century, and even at the begin-
ning of the seventeenth. The name of Piers Ploughman
is not uncommon in the political tracts of that period. 11

The Poem of Piers Ploughman is peculiarly a national
work. It is the most remarkable monument of the public
spirit of our forefathers in the middle, or, as they are
often termed, dark ages. It is a pure specimen of the

11 We may enumerate the following as specimens of such works published in
the sixteenth century. Several similar publications appeared in the century
following.

" Pyers Plowmans Exortation vnto the lordes, knights, and burgoysses of
the pariyament house." 8vo. printed by Anthony Scholoker, in the reign of
Edward VI.

" Newes from the North, Otherwise called the Conference between Simon
Certain, and Pierce Plowrman, faithfully collected and gathered by T. F. Stu-
dent." 4to. London, John Allde, 1579.

" The Plowmans complaint of sundry wicked livers, and especially of the bad
bringeing vp of children : written in verse by R. B. printed for Hugh Come,
1580." 8vo.

" A goodlye Dialogne and dysputacion between Pyers Ploweman and a Popish
preest, cucernynge the Supper of the Lorde." 8vo, without date.

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INTRODUCTION.

English language at a period when it had sustained few of
the corruptions which have disfigured it since we have had
writers of " Grammars and in it we may study with
advantage many of the difficulties of the language which
these writers have misunderstood. It is, moreover, the
finest example left of the kind of versification which was
purely English, inasmuch as it had been the only one in
use among our Anglo-Saxon progenitors, in common with
the other people of the North. To many readers it will
be perhaps necessary to explain that rhyming verse was
not in use among the Anglo-Saxons. In place of rhyme,
they had a system of verse of which the characteristic was
a very regular alliteration, so arranged that, in every
couplet, there should be two principal words in the first
line beginning with the same letter, which letter must also
be the initial of the first word on which the stress of the
voice falls in the second line. There has, as yet, been dis-
covered no system of foot-measure in Anglo-Saxon verse,
but the common metre consists apparently in having two
rises and two falls of the voice in each line. These
characteristics are accurately preserved in the verse of
Piers Ploughman; and the measure appears to be the
same, if we make allowance for the change of the slow and
impressive pronunciation of the Anglo-Saxon for the
quicker pronunciation of Middle English, which therefore
required a greater number of syllables to fill up the same
space of time.

We can trace the history of alliterative verse in England
with tolerable certainty. The Anglo-Normans first
brought in rhymes, which they employed in their own
poetry. The adoption of this new system into the English,

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TT1T

language was gradual, but it appears to have commenced
in the first half of the twelfth century. It was, at first,
mixed with alliterative couplets : that is, in the same poem
were used sometimes rhyming couplets, which were sud-
denly changed for alliterative couplets, and then, after
awhile, rhyme was again brought in, and so on. Of this
kind of poetry we have four very remarkable examples, the
Proverbs of King Alfred, a poem which was certainly in
existence in the first half of the twelfth century ; 12 the
Early English Bestiary; 1 * the Poem on the Debate
between the Body and the Soul; 1 * and the grand work of
Layamon. 16 The following lines from the Bestiary may
serve as a specimen of the manner in which the two
systems are intermixed; they form part of the account of
the spider : —

"tfanne rennefc ge rapelike,
for ge is ai redi,
frimett anon to $e net,
and ftimetf hem Sere,
Jitterlike ge hem bit
and here Jane wurtfeft,
rfrepetf and drinkefc hire blod,
dd6 ge hire non otter god,
bute fret hxrefille,
and darefc sifcen ttille."
• * •

u Printed in the Reliquia Jntiqua, vol. i, pp. 170-188. On the date of this
poem, see the BiographiaBritannicaLUeraria (by the editor of the present work),
Anglo-Saxon poriod, pp. 895, 396.

a Printed in the AUdeutsche Blatter von Moriz Haupt nnd Heinrich Hoffmann,
vol. ii, pp. 99-120, and in the Reliquia Jntiqva, vol. i, pp. 208-237.

i« Discovered in a MS. at Worcester bj Sir Thomas Phillipps, who published a
small edition of it, in folio.

U Edited by Sir Frederick Madden, for the Society of Antiquaries.

*

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INTRODUCTION.

" Cethegrande is aJU
$e moste fcat in water is ;
Sat tu wuldes seien get,
gef tfu it soge wan itflet" etc.

This kind of poetry appears to have been common until
the middle of the thirteenth century ; after which period
we only find alliteration in songs, not used in simple
alliterative couplets, but mixed up in the same lines with
rhyme in an irregular and playful manner. 16 But there
appears little room for doubting that during the whole of
this time the pure alliterative poetry was in use among the
lower classes of society; and its revival towards the
middle of the fourteenth century appears to have been a
part of the political movement which then took place. In
this point of view, the poem of Piers Ploughman becomes
still more worthy of attention as a document of contem-
porary literary history. The old alliterative verse came so
much into fashion at this period that it was adopted for
the composition of long romances, of which several still
remain. 1 ? The use of this kind of verse was continued in
the fifteenth century, and was imitated in Scotland as late
as the time of Dunbar, but the later writers were evidently
unacquainted with the strict rules of this species of compo-
sition.

The Anglo-Saxons, who used this kind of verse only,
wrote their poetry invariably as prose. But the scribe was
in the habit of indicating the division of the lines by a dot.

16 Many instances of this will be found in my Specimens of Lyric Poetry,
composed in England in the reign of Edward the First (Percy Society Publi-
cation).

17 Such as William and the Werwolf, edited by Sir Frederick Madden ; the
Romance of Jerusalem ; that of Alexander ; &c.

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xxxi

Among modern scholars a question has arisen as to the
propriety of printing the alliterative couplet in two short
lines, or in one long one. It appears to me that the mode
in which the dot is used in the manuscripts decides the
question in favour of tiie short lines. The manner in which r
the alliterative couplet is intermixed with the rhyming
couplet in the poems of the twelfth and thirteenth centu-
ries (which also are written in the manuscripts in the same
form as prose), seems to me a strong confirmation of this
opinion ; at least in these last-mentioned cases, the verse
must have been considered as written in short lines. As
the scribes quitted the custom of writing poetry in their
manuscripts as prose, with the divisions of lines indicated
by dots, to adopt that of arranging them in lines as we do
at present, these short lines were found very inconvenient
because they were obliged either to waste a great deal of *
parchment, or to write in several narrow columns. To
remedy this, they fell perhaps gradually into the custom of
writing the two parts of the alliterative couplet in one line,
always, however, marking the division by a dot. They
followed the same method with the shorter rhyming lines,
as is the case with the old English Metrical Eomance of
Horn in a manuscript in the Harleian Collection. 18 A1K"
the alliterative poetry of the fourteenth and fifteenth cen-
turies is found written in these long lines, with the dot of

13 MS. Harl. 2253. In this manuscript, and in several others which I have
seen, the rhyming poems in short lines, whether in English, Latin, or French,
are arranged in this manner; and I have met with instances in which part of a
poem has been arranged in this way, and other parts of the same poem
has been arranged in short lines, to suit the scribes convenience. I have a
strong impression of having met with an early English manuscript in which a
fragment of alliterative verse was written in short couplets.

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INTRODUCTION.

division in the middle. In the fifteenth century the mean-
ing of this dot appears to have been forgotten, and the
system of alliteration so far misunderstood, that the
writers thought it only necessary to have at least three
alliterative words in a long line, without any consideration
of their position in the line. I say at least, because they
not unfrequently inserted four or five alliterative words in
the same line, which would certainly have been considered
a defect in the earlier writers. It is my opinion, that a
modern editor is wrong in printing the verses of Piers
Ploughman in long lines, as they stand in the manuscripts,
unless he profess to give them as a fac-simile of the
manuscripts themselves, or he plead the same excuse of
convenience from the shape of his book. In either case,
he must carefully preserve the dots of separation in the
middle of the lines, which are more inconvenient than the
length of the lines, because they interfere with the punctua-
tion of the modern editor. If, as appears to be the case,
these dots are merely marks to indicate the division of the
couplet, their purpose is much better served by printing
the lines in couplets . The construction of the earlier Anglo-
Saxon verse, the analogy of the mixed rhyming and alli-
terative verses of the semi-Saxon poems, and the use of
these dots in the middle of the lines in the manuscripts of
Piers Ploughman, appear to me convincing proofs that it
ought to be printed so. I think moreover that the allite-
rative verse reads much more harmoniously in the short
couplets, than in the long lines.

The manuscripts of the Vision of Piers Ploughman are
extremely numerous both in public and in private collec-
tions. There are at least eight in the British Museum :

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xxxiii

there are ten or twelve in the Cambridge Libraries ; and
they are not less numerous at Oxford. As might be ex-
pected in a popular work like this, the manuscripts are in
general, fall of variations ; but there are two classes of
manuscripts which give two texts that are widely different
from each other, those variations commencing even with
the first lines of the poem. One of these texts, which was
adopted in the early printed editions, is given in the pre-
sent volumes ; the other text was selected for publication
by Dr. Whitaker. The following extract, comprising the
first lines of the poem, 19 will show how each text begins,
and will enable those who possess manuscripts of Piers
Ploughman to ascertain at once to which text they
belong : —

19 Text I is from the edition now offered to the public : Text II from that
edited by Dr. Whitaker.

Text I.

Text II.

In a somer seson
Whan softe was the sonne,
I shop me into shroudes
As I a sheep weere,
In habite as an heremite
Unholy of werkes,
Wente wide in this world
Wonders to here,
Ac on a May morwenynge
On Malverne hilles
Me bifel a ferry,
Of fairy e me thoghte.
I was wery for-wandred,
And wente me to reste
Under a broode bank
By a bournes syde,
And as I lay and lenede,
And loked on thfe watres,
I slombred into a slepyng,
It sweyed so murye.

In a some seyson,

Whan softe was the sonne,

Y shop into shrobbis

As y shepherde were.

In abit az an ermite

Unholy of werkes,

That wente forthe in the worle

Wondres to hnre,

And sawe meny cellis

And Belcouthe thynges.

Ac on a May morwenyng

On Malverne hnlles

Me by-fel for to slepe,

For weyrynesse of wandryng,

And in a lande as ich lay

Lenede ich and slepte,

And merveylonsly me mette,

As ich may yow telle.

Al the welthe of this wordle,

And the woo bothe,

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INTRODUCTION.

Thanne gan I meten
A merveillous swcvene,
That I was in a wildernesse
Wiste I nevere where ;
And as I biheld in to the eest
An heigh to the sonne,
I seigh a tour on a toft, etc.

Wynkyng as it were
Wyterly ich saw hyt,
Of truyth and of tricherye,
Of tresoun and of gyle,
Al ich saw slepyng,
As ich shal yow telle.
Esteward ich behulde
After the sonne,

And sawe a tour as ich trowede, etc.

Besides such variations as appear in the foregoing speci-
men, there are in the second text many considerable addi-
tions, omissions, and transpositions. It would not be easy
to account for the existence of two texts differing so much ;
but it is my impression that the first was the one published
by the author, and that the variations were made by some
other person, who was perhaps induced by his own poli-
tical sentiments to modify passages, and was gradually led
on to publish a revision of the whole. It is certain that
in some parts of Text II the strong sentiments or expres-
sions of the first text are softened down. We may give as
an example of this, the statement of the popular opinion
of the origin and purpose of kingly government : —

Text I.
Thanne kam ther a kyng,
Knyghthod hym ladde,
Might of the communes
Made hym to regne.
And thanne cam kynde wit,
And clerkes he made,
For to counseillen the kyng,
And the commune save.
The kyng and knyghthod,
And clergie bothe,
Casten that the commune
Sholde hem self fynde.
The commune contreved
Of kynde wit craftes,

Text II.
Thanne cam ther a kyng,
Knyghtod hym ladde,
The meche myghte of the men
Made hym to regne.
And thanne cam a kynde witte,
And clerkut he made,
And concience and kynde wit,
And knyghthod to-gederes,
Caste that the comune
Sholde hure comune s fynde.
Kynde wit and the comune
Contrevede alle craftes,
And for most profitable to the puple,
A plouh thei gonne make,

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INTRODUCTION.

XXXV

. And for profit of al the peple
Plowmen ordeyned,

Wit leil labour to lyve,
Wyl lyve and londe lasteth.

To tilie and to travaille,
As trewe lif asketh.
The kyng and the commune,
And kynde wit the thridde,
Shopen lawe and leaut6,
Ech man to knowe his owene.

Nobody, I think, can deny that in this instance the
doctrine is stated far more distinctly and far more boldy
in the first text than in the second. In general the first
text is the best, whether we look at the mode in which the
sentiments are stated, or at the poetry and language.

As far as I have been able to examine the remaining
manuscripts of Piers Ploughman, at London and in the
Universities, I think that nearly two-thirds of those
which remain are of the fourteenth century ; and the
greater number, particularly of those written in the four-
teenth century, present what I have distinguished as the
first text, that given in the present volumes. I am by no
means inclined to coincide in the reasons which led
Dr. Whitaker to prefer the second text ; if I were disposed
to admit, as barely possible (the supposition is quite a
gratuitous one), " that the first edition of this work ap-
peared when its author was a young man, and that he lived
and continued in the habit of transcribing to extreme old
age" (Pref.), I cannot agree with an editor in adopting
a copy which he believes to be " a faithful representation
of the work as it came first from the author," and which
not only abounds in words and idioms which he afterwards
altered, but which contains also " many original passages
which the greatet maturity of the author's judgment in-
duced him to expunge."

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xxxvi

INTRODUCTION.

I know only of two manuscripts of the Creed of Piers
Ploughman, one in the British Museum (MS. Reg. 18,
B. XVII), the other in the Library of Trinity College,
Cambridge, both on paper, and written long after the date of
the printed editions, from which they appear to have been
copied.

The first printed edition of the Vision was that of Robert
Crowley, in 1550 ; and it was so favourably received, that
there is reason for believing that no less than three editions
(or rather three impressions 20 ) were sold in the course of
the year. It is clear that Crowley had obtained an excellent
manuscript ; the printer has changed the orthography at
will, and has evidently altered a word at times, but on the
whole this printed text differs very little from the one we
now publish.

Three years after the appearance of the Vision, another
printer, Reynold Wolfe, published the first edition of the
Creed, in the same form as Crowley's edition of the
Vision. 21

After the stormy reign of Mary was past, in the begin-
ning of that of Elizabeth, the call for a new edition, and

»The title of the second impression ia, "The Vision of Pierce Ploughman,
nowe the seconde time imprinted by Roberte Crowley, dwellynge in Elye rentes
in Holburne. Whereunto are added certayne notes and cotations in the mergyne,
gevynge light to the Reader, &c. Imprinted at London by Roberte Crowley,
dwellyng in Elye rentes in Holburne. The yere of our Lord MD.L. Cum
privilegio ad imprimendum solum." 4to, 126 leaves.

sl The title consists merely of the words " Pierce the Ploughman's Crede,''
upon a tablet in the midst of a wood-cut which had evidently been brought from
the continent. A fac-simile of the most important part of the cut is given in
Mr. Payne Collier's Bibliographical Catalogue of the library of Lord Francis
Egerton, p. 285. The colophon, on a separate leaf, is "Imprinted at London
By Reynold Wolfe. Anno Domini M.D.L.HI." It consists of 16 leaves in 4to.

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xxxvii

perhap* the destruction of many copies of the old we, ted
the w*Jlrknown printer Owen Sogers to reprint the Vision
and the Creed together^ The impression W#s probably
large, for it is atill by no means a rare book, It was evi-
dently much read during the reign of Kfcabeth, and is not
unfreqiaently alluded to by the writers of that age.

Xo other edition of this popular poem appealed, until
it was published by Dr. Whitaker, in 1813, 2 * fro^ a .maniir
script theji in the possesion of Mr. Heber^* wfeiqh eon*
tained $he second text, written in a rather broad provincial
dialect. This edition was printed in bjacjtrletter, in a very
large and expensive form. In 1814, a reprint of the old
edition of the Creed was published in Se same form, as a
companion to the Vision. It is not generally known that
Dr. Whitaker projected an edition of the same text and
paraphrase which are given in his 4to edition, in 8vo, witii
Roman type instead of black-letter. After a few sheets
had been composed, the design was abandoned, as it is

» The title of this edition is, "The Vision of Pierce Plowman, aewlye imprynted
after the authouri olde copy, with a brefe summary of the phneipall matters set
before every part called Passus. Wherevnto is also annexed the Crede of Pierce
Plowman, neuer imprinted with the booke before, f Imprynted at London, by
Owen Rogers, dwellyng neare vnto great Saint Bartelmewea gate, at the sygne
of the spred Egle. % The yere of our Lord God, a thousand, fyve hundred, thre
score and one. The .xxi. daye of the Moneth of Februarye. Cum privilegio ad
imprimendum eolum." 4to. Tfii* edition is not foliated, or paged ; and it is
remarkable that it is as frequently found without the Creed, as with it. This
edition of the Creed is also sometimes found separate.

* Whitaker's edition bears the following title,-^" Vi»o Willielmi 4c Petro
Plouhman, Item Visiones ejusdem de Dowel, Dobet, et Pobest. Or, The Vision
of William concerning Piers Plouhman, and The Visions of the same concerning
the Origin, Progress, and Perfection of Christian Life, fee. By Thomas Dunham
Whitaker, LL.T)., &c." 4to. London. Murray, 1813.

** This manuscript was bought at Heber's sale for the British Museum, where
it is classed as Additional MS. No. 10,674.

d

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xxxviii

INTRODUCTION.

said, in favour of the larger form. A copy of the proof
sheets, formerly belonging to Mr. Haslewood, is now in
the possession of Sir Frederick Madden. I am told that
a rival edition was also begun, but not persevered in.

An attempt at a modernization, or rather a translation,
of Piers Ploughman, was made in the earlier years of the
present century, but only a few specimens appear to have
been executed. The following lines, which possess some
merit (though not very literal or correct), are the modern
version the author proposed to give of U. 2847-2870 of
the poem. They were communicated to me by Sir Henry
Ellis. ,

" Next Avarice came ; but how he look'd, to say,
Words do I want that rightly shall portray :
Like leathern parse his shrivell'd cheeks did shew,
Thick lipp'd, with two blear eyes and beetle brow :
In a torn threadbare tabard was he clad,
Which twelve whole winters now in wear he had ;
French, scarlet 'twas, its colour well it kept,
So smooth that loose upon its surface crept."

It will be necessary, in conclusion, to say a few words
on the edition now offered to the public. Without taking
into consideration the inaccuracies and imperfections of
Whitaker's edition, its inconvenient size and high price
made it altogether inaccessible to the general reader ; and
there appeared to be a wish for one in a more convenient
and less expensive form. At the same time it was desired
that a good text of a work so important for the history
of our language and literature should be selected. Dr.
Whitaker was not well qualified for this undertaking ; he
also laboured under many disadvantages; he had access
to only three manuscripts, and those not very good ones ;
and he has not chosen the best text even of those. Unless

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xxxix

lie liad some reason to believe that the book was originally
written in a particular dialect, he ought to have given a
preference to that among the oldest manuscripts which pre-
sents the purest language ; but we cannot allow that
manuscript to be chosen on a ground so capricious as
" that the orthography and dialect in which it is written ap-
proach very near to that semi-Saxon jargon, in the midst
of which the editor was brought up, and which he continues
to hear daily spoken on the confines of Lancashire, and the
West Riding of the county of York." (Pref.) This could
not have been the language employed by a monk of
Malvern.

The present editor has endeavoured, in the leisure
moments which he has been able to snatch from other
employments, to supply the deficiency as well, and in as
unassuming manner, as he could. He has chosen for his
text a manuscript belonging to the valuable library of
Trinity College, Cambridge (where its shelf-mark is B. 15,
17), because it appears to him to be the best and oldest
manuscript now in existence. It is a fine folio manuscript,
on vellum, written in a large hand, undoubtedly contempo-
rary with the author of the poem, and in remarkably pure
English, with ornamented initial letters. His object has been
to give the poem as popular a form as is consistent with
philological correctness. He has added a few notes which
occurred to him in the course of editing the text, and
which he hopes may render the meaning and allusions
sometimes clearer, to the general reader, for whom more
especially they are intended. They might fcive been en-
larged and rendered more complete, if he had been master
of sufficient leisure to enable him to undertake extensive

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xl INTMOVUmOTt,

researches. But there we allusions, m well as words, in
both poems to which it would be difficult at present to give
any, certain explanation. It has been thought advisable to
give in the notes the important variations of the second
text, from Dr. Whitakear's edition ; and a few readings a*e
added from a second manuscript in Trinity College Library
(E. 8, 14). The editor has hoped to add to the utility of
the book by a copious glossary. He has been unwillingly
obliged to leave a few words without explanation; all our
early alliterative poetry abounds in difficult words. In
this point he has to acknowledge the kind assistance of Sir
Frederick Madden, whom no person equals in profound
knowledge of English glossography, and than whom no
one is more generous to advise and assist those who are in
need of Ms aid. To Sir Henry Ellis, who kindly lent him
his own manuscript notes on Piers Ploughman, the editor
also owes his grateful acknowledgments ; and he resets
that at the time he received them the notes were already so
far printed as to hinder him from making as much use of
them as be could have wished.

London, June 1, 1842.

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THE VISION OF PIERS
PLOUGHMAN.

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THE VISION OF

PIERS PLOUGHMAN.

N a somer seson
Whan softe was the sonne,
I shoop me into shroudes
As I a sheep weere,
In habite as an heremite
Unholy of werkes,
Wente wide in this world
Wondres to here ;
Ac on a May morwenynge
On Malverne hilles 10
Me bifel a ferly,
Of fairye me thoghte.
I was wery for-wandred,
And wente me to reste
Under a brood bank
By a bournes syde ;
And as I lay and lenede,
And loked on the watres,
I slombred into a slepyng,
It sweyed so murye. 20
1

2 THE VISION OF

Thanne gan I meten 21
A merveillous swevene,
That I was in a wildernesse,
Wiste I nevere where,
And as I biheeld into the eest %
An heigh to the sonne,
I seigh a tour on a toft
Triefiche y-maked,
A deep dale bynethe,
A dongeon therinne,
With depe diches and derke
And dredfulle of sighte. 32
A fair feeld ful of folk
Fond I ther bitwene,
* Of alle manere of men,
The meene and the riche,
Werchynge and wandrynge,
As the world asketh.

Some putten hem to the plough,
Pleiden ful selde,
In settynge and sowynge
Swonken ful harde,
And wonnen that wastours 43
With glotonye destruyeth.

And somme putten hem to pride,
Apparailed hem therafter,
In contenaunce of clothynge
Comen degised.

In preires and penaunces
Putten hem manye,
Al for the love of oure Lord
Lyveden ful streyte,
In hope to have after
Hevene riche blisse ;

PIERS PLOUGHMAN.

3

As ancres and heremites 55
That holden hem in hire sellee,
And covedten noght in contree
To carien aboute.
For no likerous liflode
Hire likame to plese.

And 8omme chosen chaffare p
Thei cheveden the bettre,
As it semeth to our sight
That swiche men thryveth.
. And Bomme murthes to make^
As mynstralles konne, 66
And geten gold with hire glee^
Giltles, I leeve.

Ac japeres and jangeleres^
Judas children,
Feynen hem fantasies^
And fooles hem maketh,
And han hire wit at wiHe
To werken, if thei wolde.
That Poul precheth of hem
I wol nat preve it here i
But Qui loquitur imrpuoquiim 77
Is Luciferes hyne.

Bidderes and beggeres
Faste aboute yede,
With hire belies and hire bagges
Of breed ful y-crammed^
Faiteden for hire foode,
Foughten at the ale.
In glotonye, God wooi^
Go thei to bedd*,
And risen with ribaudie,
Tho Eoberdes knaves ; 88

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4 THE VISION OF

Sleep and sory sleuthe 89
Seweth hem evere.

Pilgrymes and palmeres
Plighten hem togidere,
Por to seken seint Jame,
And seintes at Eome.
They wenten forth in hire wey,
With many wise tales,
And hadden leve to lyen
Al hire lif after.

I seigh somme that seiden
Thei hadde y-sought seintes ; 100
To ech a tale that thei tolde
Hire tonge was tempred to lye, *
Moore than to seye sooth,
It semed bi hire speche.

Heremytes on an heep
With hoked staves
Wenten to Walsyngham,
And hire wenches after,
Grete lollies and longe
That lothe were to swynke ;
Clothed hem in copes, in
To ben knowen from othere ;
And shopen hem heremytes,
Hire ese to have.

I fond there freres,
AUe the fonre ordres,
Prechynge the peple
/ Por profit of hemselve ;
Glosed the gospel,
As hem good bleed;
Por coveitise of copes,
Construwed it as thei wolde. 122

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 5

Many of thise maistre freres 12s

Now clothen hem at likyng,

For hire moneie and hire marchaun-

Marchen togideres. [dize

For sith charite hath ben chapman,

And chief to shryve lordes,

Manye ferlies han fallen

In a fewe yeres ;

But holy ehirche and hii

Holde bettre togidres,

The mooste meschief on molde

Is mountynge wel faste. 134

Ther preched a pardoner,
As he a preest were ; !
Broughte forth a bulle !
With many bisshopes seles,
And seide that hymself myghte
Assoillen hem alle,
Of falshede, of fastynge,
Of avowes y-broken.

Lewed men leved it wel,
And liked hise wordes ;
Comen up knelynge 146
To kissen hise bulles.
He bouched hem with his brevet,
And blered hire eighen,
And raughte with his rageman
Rynges and broches.

Thus thei gyven hire gold
Glotons to kepe,
And leveth in swiche losels
As leccherie haunten.

Were the bisshope y-blessed,
And worth bothe hise eris, i»6

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6 THE VISION OF

His seel sholde noght be sent W

To deceyve the peple.

Ac it is noght by the bisshope

That the boy precheth ;

For the parisshe preest and the par-

Parten the silver, [doner

That the poraille of the parisshe

Sholde have, if thei ne were.

Parsons and parisshe preestes
Pleyned hem to the bisshope,
That hire parisshes weren povere
Sith the p estilenc e tyme, 168
To have aTicence and leve
At London to dwelle,
And syngen ther for symonie ;
For silver is swete.

Bisshopes and bachelers,
Bothe maistres and doctours,
That han cure under Crist,
And crownynge in tokene
And signe that thei sholden
Shryven hire parisshens,
Prechen and praye for hem, 179
And the povere fede,
Liggen at Londone
In Lenten and ellis.

Somme serven the kyng,
And his silver tellen
In cheker and in chauncelrie,
Chalangen hise dettes
Of wardes and of wardemotes,
Weyves and streyves.

And somme serven as servauntz
Lordes and ladies, i*>

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN, 7

And in stede of stywardes wi

Sitten and demen ;

Hire messe and hire matyns

And many of hire houres

Arn doon un-devoutHche ;

Drede is at the laste,

Lest Crist in consistorie

A- corse fill manye.

I perceyved of the power
That Peter hadde to kepe,
To bynden and unbynden,
As the book telleth ; *>9
How he it lefte with love,
As oure Lord highte,
Amonges foure vertues,
The beste of alle. vertues,
That cardinals ben called,
And closynge yates.
There is Crist in his kingdom
To close and to shette,
And to opene it to hem,
And hevene blisse shewe.

Ac of the cardinals at court 21&
That kaughte of that name,
And power presumed in hem
A pope to make,

To han that power that Peter hadde,

Impugnen I nelle ;

For in love and in lettrure

The election bilongeth,

For-thi I kan and kan naught

Of court speke moore.

Thanne kam ther a kyng,
Knyghthod hym ladde, . 234

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8 TEE VISION OF

Might of the communes 226
Made hym to regne.

And thanne cam kynde wit,
And clerkes he made,
For to counseillen the kyng,
And the commune save.

The kyng and knyghthod,
And clergie bothe,
Casten that the commune
Sholde hemself fynde.

The commune contreved
Of kynde wit craftes, 236
And for profit of al the peple
Plowmen ordeyned,
To tilie and to travaille,
As trewe lif asketh.

The kyng and the commune,
And kynde wit the thridde,
Shopen lawe and leaut^,
Ech man to knowe his owene.

Thanne loked up a lunatik,
A leene thyng with-alle,
And, knelynge to the kyng, 247
Clergially he seide :

" Crist kepe thee, sire kyng !
And thi kyng-ryche,
And lene thee lede thi lond,
So leaute* thee lovye,
And for thi rightful rulyng
Be rewarded in hevene."

And sithen in the eyr an heigh
An aungel of hevene
Lowed to speke in Latyn,
For lewed men ne koude 258

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PIBRS PLOUGHMAN. 9

Jangle ne jugge, 25 *>

That justifie hem sholde,

But suffren and serven ;

For-thi seide the aungel :

Sum rex, sum princeps,

Neutrum fortasse deinceps ;

0 qui jura regis

Christi specialia regis.

Hoc quod agas melius,

Justus es, esto pius.

Nudum jus a te

Vestiri vult pietate ; 27O

Qualia vis metere,

Talia grana sere*

Si jus nudatur,

Nudo de jure metatur ;

Si seritur pietas,

De pietate metas,

Thanne greved hym a goliardeis,
A gloton of wordes,
And to the aungel an heigh
Answerde after :

Bum rex a regere 281
Dicatur nomen habere ;
Nomen habet sine re,
Nisi studetjura tenere.

Thanne gan al the commune
Crye in vers of Latyn,
To the kynges counseil ;
Construe who so wolde :
Pracepta regis
Sunt nobis vincula legis.

With that ran ther a route
Of ratons at ones, *M

10 THE VISION OF

And smale mees myd hem 393

Mo than a thousand,

And comen to a counseil

For the commune profit ;

For a cat of a contree

Cam whan hym liked,

And overleep hem lightliche.

And laughte hem at his wille.

And pleide with hem perillousli,

And possed aboute.

" For doute of diverse dredes,

We dar noght wel loke ; 30*

And if we grucche of his gam en,

He wol greven us ajle,

Cracchen us or clawen us,

And in hise clouches holde,

That us lotheth the lif

Er he late us passe,

Mighte we with any wit

His wille withstonde,

We mighte be lordes o-lofte,

And lyven at oure ese."

A raton of renoun, 315
Moost renable of tonge,
Seide for a sovereyn
Help to hymselve :

"I have y-seyen segges," quod
"In the cite* of Londone, [he
Beren beighes ful brighte
Abouten hire nekkes,
And somme colers of crafty werk;
Uncoupled thei wenten
Bothe in wareyne and in waast
Where hemself liked. 396

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 11

And outher while thei am eDis-
As I here telle ; [where,
Were ther a belle on hire beighe,
By Jhesu, as me thynketh,
Men myghte witen wher thei wente,
And awey renne !"

" And right so,"- quod that raijon,
" Eeson me sheweth,
To bugge a belle of bras,
Or of bright silver,
And knytten it on a coler
For oure commune profit, 338
Wher he ryt or rest,
Or renneth to pleye;
And if hym list for to laike,
Thanne loke we mowen,
And peeren in his presence >
The while him pleye liketh ;
And, if hym wratheth, be war,
And his way shonye."

Al this route of ratons
To this reson thei assented.
Ac tho the belle was y-broughti 349
And on the beighe hanged,
Ther ne was raton in al the route,
Tor al the reaume of Fraunce,
That dorste have bounden the belle
About the cattes nekke,
Ne hangen it aboute the cattes hals,
Al Engelond to wynne.
AUe helden hem un- hardy,
And hir counseil feble ;
And leten hire labour lost
And al hire longe studie. 360

12 . THE VISION OF

A mous that muche good 361
Kouthe, as me thoughte,
Strook forth sternely,
And stood bifore hem alle,
And to the route of ratons
Beherced thise wordes :

" Though we killen the cat,
Tet sholde ther come another
To cacchen us and al oure kynde,
Though we cropen under benches.
For-thi I counseille al the commune
To late the cat worthe ; 372
And be we nevere bolde
The belle hym to shewe ;
For I herde my sire seyn,
Is seven yeer y-passed,
Ther the cat is a kitone
The court is ful elenge ;
That witnesseth holy writ,
Who so wole it rede :
V<b terra vbipuer rex est / etc.
For may no renk ther reste have
For ratons by nyghte ; 383
The while he caccheth conynges,
He coveiteth noght youre caroyne,
But fedeth hym al with venyson:
Defame we hym nevere.
For better is a litel los
Than a long sorwe,
The maze among us alle,
Theigh we mysse a sherewe ;
For many mennes malt
We me~es wolde destruye,
And also ye route of ratons 394

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TIERS PLOUGHMAN. 13

Bende mennes clothes, 396

Nere the cat of that court

That can yow over-lepe ;

Tor hadde ye rattes youre wille,

Te kouthe noght rule yow selve."

u I seye for me," quod the mous,
" I se so muchel after,
Shal nevere the cat ne the kiton
By my counseil be greved,
Thorugh carpynge of this coler
That costed me nevere
And though it hadde costned me
Bi-knowen it I nolde, [catel,
But suffren, as hymself wolde,
To doon as hym liketh,
Coupled and uncoupled
To cacche what thei mowe.
For-thi ech a wis wight I warne,
Wite wel his owene."

What this metels by-meneth,
Ye men that ben murye
Devyne ye, for I ne dar,
By deere God in hevene. 417

Yet hoved ther an hundred
In howves of selk,
Sergeantz it bi-semed
That serveden at the barre,
Pleteden for penyes
And poundes the lawe ;
And noght for love of our Lord
Unclose hire lippes ones.
Thow myghtest bettre meete myst
On Malverne hilles,
Than gete a mom of hire mouth,

14 THE VISION.

Til moneie be shewed.

Barons and burgeises,
And bonde^men als,
I seigh in this assembled,
As ye shul here after :
Baksteres and brewesteres,
And bochiers manye ;
Wollen webbesters,
And weveres of lynnen,
Taillours and tynkers,
And tollers in markettes,
Masons and mynours, 440
And many othere eraftes.
Of alle kynne lybbynge laborers
Lopen forth somme,
As dikeres and delveres, <
That doon hire de4es ille,
And dryveth forth the longe day
With Dim save dame Mnme.

Cokes and hire knaves ^
Cryden, " Hote pies, hote ! -
Goode gees and grys !
Gowe, dyne, gowe !" 451

Taverners until hem
^Trewely tolden the same,
Whit wyn of Oseye,
And reed wyn of Gascoigne,
Of the Ryn and of the Eochel,
The roost to defie.
[Al this I saugh slepynge,

469

Digitized by

Google

Pa88us Primus de Vidone.

HAT this mountaigne by-
meneth 460
And the merke dale,

*FQJfil> And the feld fid of folk,
I shal yow faire shewe.
A lovely lady of leere,
In lynrien y-clothed,
Cam doun from a castel
And called me faire,
And seide, " Sone, alepestow ?
Sestow this peple,
How bisie thei ben
Alle aboute the maze ? 47i
The mooste partie of this peple
That passeth on this erthe,
Have thei woTship in this world,
Thei wilne no bettre ;
Of oother hevene than here
Holde thei no tale."

I was a-fered of hire face,
Theigh she fair weere,
And seide, " Mercy, madame,
What is this to meene ?"

" The tour on the toft," quod she,

" Truthe is therinne ;

483

16 THE VISION OF

And wolde that ye wroughte, 484

As his word techeth !

For he is fader of feith,

And formed yow alle

Bothe with fel and with face,

And yaf yow fyve wittes,

For to worshipe hym therwith,

While that ye ben here.

And therfore he highte the erthe

To helpe yow echone,

Of woUene, of lynnen,

Ofliflodeatnede,

In mesurable manere

To make yow at ese ;

And comannded of his curteisie

In commune three thynges,

Are none nedfulle but tho,

And nempne hem I thynke,

And rekeneThem by reson ;

Reherce thow hem after.

« That oon vesture,
From cold thee to save ;
And mete at meel 50«
For mysese of thiselve ;
And drynke whan thow driest ;
Ac do noght out of reson,
That thow worttie the wers
Whan thow werche sholdest.

" For Lot in hise lif-dayes,
For likynge of drynke,
Dide by hise doughtres
That the devel liked,
Delited hym in drynke
As the devel wolde, 517

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 17

And leccherie hym laughte, 518
And lay by hem bothe,
And al he witte it the wyn
That wikked dede.
Inebriamua eum vino, dormiamusque
cum eo, ut servare possimw de
patre nostro semen,

Thorugh wyn and thorugh wom-
Ther was Loth acombred, [men
And there gat in glotonie
Gerles that were cherles.

" For-thi dred delitable drynke,
And thow shalt do the bettre. 580
Mesure is medicine,
Though thow muchel yerne.
It is nought al good to the goost
That the gut asketh,
Ne Mode to thi likame ;
For a Here hym techeth,
That is the wrecched world
Wolde thee bitraye.
For the fend and thi flesshe
Folwen togidere. 540
This and that seeth thi soule,
And seith it in thin herte ;
And for thow sholdest ben y-war,
I wisse thee the beste."

" Madame, mercy 1" quod I,
" Me liketh wel youre wordes ;
Ac the moneie of this molde
That men so faste holdeth,
Tel me to whom, madame,
That tresour appendeth." 550

" Go to the gospel," quod she,
2

18 THE VISION OF

" That God seide hymselven ; 6*8
Tho the poeple hym apposed©
With a peny in the temple,
Wheither thei sholde therwith
Worshipe the kyng Cesar.

" And God asked of hym,
Of whom spak the lettre,
And the ymage was lik
That therinne stondeth.

" c Cesares/ thei seiden,
' We seen it wel echone.'

" 'Reddite Casari' quod God, 563
'That Gzaan bifalleth,
Et qua sunt Dei Deo,
Or ellis ye don ille ;
For rightfully reson
Sholde rule yow alle,
And kynde wit be wardeyn
Youre welthe to kepe,
And tutour of youre tresor,
And take it yow at nede,
For housbondrie and hii
Holden togidres." 574

Thanne I frayned hire faire,
For hym that me made, .
" That dongeon in the dale,
That dredfuL is of sighte.
What may it be to meene,
Madame, I yow biseche ?"

"That is the castel of Care ;
Who so comth therinne
May banne that he born was,
To bodi or to soule.
Tttferinne wonyeth a wight 585

Digitized by Google

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 19

That Wrong is y-hote, 686

Fader of falshede,

And founded it hymselve.

Adam and Eve

He egged to ille ;

Counseilled Kaym

To HUen his brother ;

Judas he japed

With Jewen silver,

And sithen on an eller

Hanged hymselve.

He is lettere of love, 597

And lieth hem alle

That tirusten on his tresour ;

Bitrayeth he hem sonnest."

Thanne hadde I wonder in my wit
What womman it weere,
That swiche wise wordes
Of holy writ shewed ;
And asked hire on the heighe name,
Er she thennes yede,
What she were witterly
That wissed me so faire. 608

" Holi chirche I am," quod she,
" Thow oughtest me to knowe ;
I underfeng thee first,
And the feith taughte ;
And broughtest me borwes
My biddyng to fulfille,
And to loven me leelly
The while thi lif dureth."

Thanne I courbed on my knees,
And cried hire of grace ;
And preide hire pitously 619

Digitized by

20 THE VISION OF

Preye for my sinnes, 630

And also kenne me kyndely

On Crist to bi-leve,

That I myghte werchen his wille

That wroghte me to man.

" Teche me to no tresor,

But tel me this ilke,

How I may save my soule,

That seint art y-holden."

" Whan alle tresors arn tried,"
" Treuthe is the beste ; [quod she,
I do it on Deus caritas, esi
To deme the sothe,
It is as dereworthe a drury
As deere God hymselven.

" Who is trewe of his tonge,
And telleth noon oother,
And dooth the werkes therwith,
And wilneth no man ille,
He is a God by the gospel
A-grounde and o-lofte,
And y-lik to oure Lord,
By seint Lukes wordes. 642
The clerkes that knowen this,
Sholde kennen it aboute,
For cristen and un-cristen .
Cleymeth it echone.

" Kynges and knyghtes
Sholde kepen it by reson,
Biden and rappen doun
In reaumes aboute,
And taken tramgressores, .
And tyen hem faste,
Til treuthe hadde y-termyned 663

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. -21

Hire trespas to the ende. 654

And that is profession apertli

That apendeth to knyghtes ;

And naught to fasten o friday

In fyve score wynter,

But holden with hym and with here

That wolden alle truthe,

And nevere leve hem for love

Ne for lacchynge of silver.

For David in Mse dayes

Dubbed knyghtes,

And dide hem sweren on hir swerdes

To serven truthe evere ; 666

And who so passed that point

Was apostata in the ordre.

" But Crist kyngene kyng
Knyghted ten,
Cherubyn and seraphyn,
Swiche sevene and othere,.
And yaf hem myght in his majestee,
The murier hem thoughte,
And over his meene meynee
Made hem archangeles ; 676
Taughte hem by the Trinitee
Treuthe to knowe
To be buxom at his biddyng,
He bad hem nought ellis.

cc Lucifer with legions
Lerned it in hevene ;
But for he brak buxomnesse
His blisse gan he tyne,
And fel fro that felawshipe
In a fendes liknesse,
Into a deep derk helle, 687

22- THIS VISION OF

To dwelle there for evere ; 68$
And mo thousandes myd hym
Than man konthe nombre
Lopen ont with Lncifer
In lothliche forme,
For thei lereden upon hym
That lyed in this manere :
Ponam pedem in aquilone, et dmilU
ero altwsimo. [be so,

" And alle that * hoped it myghte
Noon hevene myghte hem holde,
But fellen out in fendes liknesse 699
Nyne dayes togideres,
Til God of his goodnesse
Gan stablisse and stynte,
And garte the herene to stelae*
And stonden in quiete.
• " Whan thise wikkede wenten out,
In wonder wise thei fellen ;
Somme in the eyr, somme in erthe,
And somme in helle depe ;
Ac Lucifer lowest lith
Yet of hem alle, 710
For pride that he putte out,
His peyne hath noon ende.
And alle that werchen with wrong,
Wende thei shulle,
After hir deth day
And dweUe with that sherewe.

"And tho that werche wel,
As holy writ telleth,
And enden as I er seide
In truthe, that is the beste, ,
Mowe be siker that hire soules 791

Digitized by

PIERS FLOUGpMAN. 23

Shul wende to hevene, 71*

Ther treuthe is in trinitee,

And troneth hem alle.

For-thi I seye, as I seyde er,

By sighte of thise textes,

Whan alle tresors am tried,

Truthe ia the beste ;

Lereth it thise lewed men,

For lettred men it knoweth,

That treuthe is tresor

The trieste on erthe." [quod I,

<f Yet have I no kynde knowyng,"
" Ye mote kenne me bettre, 734
By what craft in my cors
It comseth, and where."

" Thow doted daffe," quod she,
" Dulle are thi wittes ;
To litel Latyn thow lernedest,
Leode, in thi youthe."
Hen michi I quia sterilem dim vitam
juvenilem* [she,

" It is a kynde knowyng," quod
" That kenneth in thyn herte, 744
For to loven thi Lord
Levere than thiselve,
No dedly synne to do*
Deye theigh thow sholdest 5
This I trowe be truthe,
Who kan teche thee bettre,

f * Lake thow suffre hym to seye,
And sithen lere it after ;
For truthe telleth that love
Is triacle of hevene.
May no synne be on hym seene, 7«

Digitized by

24 THE VISION OF

That useth that spice, 75*

And alle hise werkes be wroughte

With love as hym liste ; [thyng,

And lered it Moyses for the leveste

And moost lik to hevene,

And al so the plentee of pees

Moost precious of vertues ;

For hevene myghte nat holden it,

It was so hevy of hymself,

Til it hadde of the erthe

Eten his fille.

"And whan it hadde of this fold 7«7
Flesshe and blood taken,
Was nevere leef upon lynde
Lighter therafter,
And portatif and persaunt
As the point of a nedle,
That myghte noon armure it lette,
Ne none heighe walles.

" For-thi is love ledere
Of the Lordes folk of hevene,
A nd a meene, as the mair is [mune ;
Bitwene the kyng and the com*
Eight so is love a ledere, 77»
And the law shapeth,
Upon man for hise mysdedes
The mercyment he taxeth.
And for to knowen it kyndely
It comseth by myght,
And in the herte there is the heed
And the heighe welle ;
For in kynde knowynge in herte,
Ther a myght bigynneth ;
And that falleth to the fader 789

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 25

That formed us alle, 790

Loked on us with love,

And leet his sone dye

Mekely for oure mysdedes,

To amenden us alle.

And yet wolde he hem no wo

That wroughte hym that peyne,

But mekely with mouthe

Mercy bisoughte,

To have pit6 of that peple

That peyned hym to dethe.

u There myghtow sen ensample
In hymself oone, 802
That he was myghtful and meke,
And mercy gan graunte
To hem that hengen hym on heigh
And his herte thirled.

" For-thi I rede yow, riche,
Haveth ruthe of the povere ;
Though ye be myghtful to mote,
Beeth meke in youre werkes,
*For the same mesures that ye mete,
Amys outher ellis, 812
Te shulle ben weyen therwith
Whan ye wenden hennes*
Eadem mensura qua mend fueritisy
remetietur vobis.

u For though ye be trewe of youre
And treweliche wynne, [tonge
And as chaste as a child
That in chirche wepeth,
But if ye loven leeUy
And lene the povere,
Swich good as God yow sent 823

Digitized by

26 THE VISION 01

Goodliche parteth,

824

Ye ne have namoore merite
In masse nor in houres,
Than Malkyn of hire may denhede
That no man desireth.

"For James the gentile
Jugged in hise bokes,
That feith withouten the feet
Is right no thyng worthi,
And as deed as a dore-tree,
But if the dedes folwe. 834
Ipdes sine operibus mortua est, etc.

"For-thi chastity withouten charite*
Worth cheyned in helle ;
It is as lewed as a lampe
That no light is inne.
Manye chapeleyns am chaste,

Are no men avarouser than hii
Whan thei ben avaunced,
Unkynde to hire kyn,
And to alle cristene

And chiden after moore ;
Swiche chastity withouten charity
Worth cheyned in helle.

" Manye curatours kepen hem
Clene of hire bodies ;
Thei ben acombred with coveitise,
Thei konne noght doon it from hem,
So harde hath avarice
T-hasped hem togideres ;
And that is no truthe of the Trinity,
But tricherie of helle, 867

Chewen hire charite*,

Digitized by

Google

TIERS PLOUGHMAN. 27

And lernynge to lewed men 858

The latter for to deele.

For-thi thise wordes

Ben writen in the gospel,

Date, et dabitur vobis,

For I deele yow alle,

And that is the lok of love,

And leteth out my grace,

To conforten the carefulle

A-combred with synne.

M Love is leche of lif,
And next oure Lord selve, 869
And also the graithe gate
That goth into hevene ;
For-thi I seye, aa I seide
Er by the textes,
Whan alle tresors ben tried,
Treuthe is the beste.

" Now have I told thee what truthe
That no tresor is bettre ; [is,
I may no lenger lenge thee with,
Now loke thee oure Lorde." 879

Digitized by

Google

Passu8 Secundus de Vmone^ ut

And seide, "Mercy, madame,

3lsro=fl3 For Marie love of hevene,
That bar that blisful barn
That boughte us on the rode,
Kenne me by som craft
To knowe the false."

" Loke up on thi left half,
And lo where he stondeth I
Bothe Fals and Favel,
And hire feeres manye." 891

I loked on my left half,
As the lady me taughte,
And was war of a womman
Worthiliche y-clothed,
Purfiled with pelure
The fyneste upon erthe,
T-corouned with a coroune,
The kyng hath noon bettre ;
Fetisliche hire fyngres
Were fretted with gold wyr,
And theron rede rubies
As rede as any gleede, 903

supra.

IT I courbed on my knees,
And cried hire of grace,

Digitized by

TIERS PLOUGHMAN. 29

And diamaundes of derrest pris, aw
And double manere sapbires,
Orientals and ewages,
Envenymes to destroye.

Hire robe was ful riebe,
Of reed scarlet engreyned,
Witb ribanes of reed gold
And of riche stones. *
Hire array me ravysshed,
Swicb richesse saugb I nevere ;
I badde wonder what sbe was,
And wbos wif sbe were. 915

" Wbat is this womman," quod I,
"So worthiliatired?"

" That is Mede the mayde," quod
" Hath noyed me ful ofte, [she,
And y-lakked my lemman
That Leautee is hoten,
And bi-lowen hire to lordes
That lawes han to kepe.

c< In the popes paleis
She is pryvee as myselve ;
But soothnesse wolde nogbt so, r 926
For she is a bastarde ;
For fals was hire fader .
That hath a fikel tonge,
And nevere sooth seide
Sithen he com to erthe ;
*And Mede is manered after hym,
Right as kynde asketh
Qualu pater talis filius.
Bonus arbor bonum fructnm facit.

" I oughte ben hyere than she,
I kam of a bettre; «37

Digitized by

80 THE VISION OF

My fader the grete God is W8

And ground of alle graces,

So God withouten gynnyng,

And I his goode doughter,

And hath yeven me mercy

To marie with myselve,

And what man be merciful

And leelly me love,

Shal be my lord and I his leef

In the heighe hevene.

" And what man taketh Mede,
Myn heed dar I legge, M9
That he shal lese for hire love
A lappe of caritati*.

" How construeth David the k ing
Of men that taketh Mede,
And men of this moolde
That maynteneth truthe,
And how ye shul save yourself,
The sauter bereth witnesse :
Domine, qui* habitabit in taberna-
culo tuo t etc. [maried
"And now worth this Mede y-
h Unto a maused sherewe, w
To oon fals fikel tonge,
A fendes biyete ;
Tavel thorugh his faire speche
Hath this folk enchaunted,
And al is Lieres ledynge,
That she is thus y-wedded.

" To-morwe worth y-maked
The maydenes bridale, [wilt,
And there myghtow witen, if thow
Whiche thei ben alle m

Digitized by Google

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 31

That longen to that lordshipe, 972
The lasse and the moore.
Knowe hem there, if thow kanst,
And kepe thow thi tonge,
And lakke hem noght, but lot hem
Til leaute* be justice, [wortbe
And have power to punysshe hem,
Thanne put forth thi reson.
Now I bikenne thee Crist," quod
" And his clene moder, [she,
And lat no. conscience acombre thee
For coveitise of Mede." »83

Thus lefte me that lady
^iggynge a-slepe;
And how Mede was y-maried
In metels me thoughte,
That al the riche retenaunce
That regneth with the false*
Were boden to the bridale
On bothe two sides,
Of alle manere of men
The meene and the riche 5
To marien this mayde 9#4
Were many men assembled,
As of knyghtes and of clerkes,
And oother commune peple,
As sisours and somonours,
Sherreves and hire clerkes,
Bedelles and baillifs,
And brocours of chaff are,
Eorgoers and vitaillers,
And adyokettes of the archee ;
I kan noght rekene the route
That ran aboute Mede. 1006

32 THE VISION OF

Ac Symonie and Cyvylle, looe
And sisours of courtes,
Were moost pryvee with Mede
• Of any men, me thoughte.
Ac Favel was the firste
That fette hire ont of boure,
And as a brocour broughte hire
To be with Fals enjoyned.

Whan Symonye and Cyvylle
Seighe hir bothe wille,
Thei assented, for silver,
To seye as bothe wolde. low

Thanne leep Liere forth, and seide,
" Lo here a chartre I"
That Gile with hise grete othes
Gaf hem togidere,
And preide Cyvylle to see,
And Symonye to rede it.

Thanne Symonye and Cyvylle
Stonden forth bothe,
And nnfoldeth the fefFement
That Fals hath y-maked,
And thus bigynnen thise gomes 1038
To greden ftd heighe :
Sciant prmentes et futuri, etc.

Witeth and witnesseth,
That wonieth upon this erthej
That Mede is y-maried
Moore for hire goodes
Than for any vertue or fairnesse,
Or any free kynde.
Falsnesse is fayn of hire,
For he woot hire riche ;
And Favel with his fikel speche 1039

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 33

FefFeth by this chartre, iteo

To be princes in pride

And poverte to despise,

To bakbite and to bosten,

And bere fals witnesse,

To scorne and to scolde,

And sclaundre to make,

Unbuxome and bolde

Xo breke the, ten hestes.

And the erldom of Envye
And Wrathe togideres,
With the chastilet of Cheste, . 1051
And Chaterynge ont of reson.

The countee of Coveitise,
And alle the costes aboute,
That is Usure and Avarice,
Al I hem graunte,
In bargaynes and in brocages,
With al the burghe of Thefte,

And al the lordshipe of Leccherie
In lengthe and in brede,
As in werkes and in wordes,
And in waitynges with eighes, 1062
And in wedes and in wisshynges,
And with ydel thoughtes,
There as wil wolde
And werkmanshipe fayleth.

Glotonye he gaf hem ek,
And grete othes togidere,
And al day to drynken
At diverse tavernes,
And there to jangle and jape,
And jugge hir even cristen ;
And in fastynge dayes to frete 107s
3

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34 THE VISION OF

Er fill tyme were,

And thanne to sitten and soupen

Til sleep hem assaille ;

And breden as burghe swyn,

And bedden hem esily,

Til sleuthe and sleep

Sliken hise sydes, [hem so

And thanne wanhope to awaken

With no wil to amende,

For he leveth be lost,

This is hir laste ende. low

And thei to have and to holde,
And hire heires after,
A dwellynge with the devel,
And dampned be for evere,
With alle the appurtinaunoes of

pnrgatorie
Into the pyne of helle.

Yeldynge for this thyng,
At one dayes tyme,
Hire soules to Sathan,
To suffre with hym peynes, low
And with hym to wonye with wo
While God is in hevene.
- In witnesse of which thyng,
Wrong was the firste,
And Piers the pardoner
Of Paulynes doctrine,
Bette the bedel
Of Bokyngham shire,
Reynald the reve
Of Kutland sokene,
Maude the millere,
And many mo othere. 1107

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 35

In the date of the devel 1108
This dede I ensele,
By sighte of Sire Symonie
And Cyvyles leeve.

Thanne tened hym Theologie,
Whan he this tale herde ;
And seide unto Cyvyle,
w Now sorwe mote thow have,
Swiche weddynges to werche,
To wrathe with truthe ;
And er this weddynge be wroght,
Wo thee bitide ! 1119

" For Mede is muliere
Of Amendes engendred,
And God graunteth to gyve
Mede to Truthe ;

And thow hast gyvenhire to a gilour ;
Now God gyve thee sorwe ! ■
Thi text telleth thee noght so,
Truthe woot the sothe ;
For Dignw est operarim
His hire to have,

And thow hast fest hire to Fals, 1130

Fy on thi lawe !

For al bi lesynges thow lyvest

And lecherouse werkes*

Symonye and thiself

Shenden hoK chirche ;

The notaries and ye

Noyen the peple ;

Ye shul a-biggen it bothe,

By God that me made !

" Wei ye witen, wernardes,
But if youre wit faille, 1141

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36 TEE VISION OF

That Fals is feithlees 1H2

And nkel in hise werkes,

And was a bastarde y-bore

Of Belsabnbbes kynne ;

And Mede is muliere,

A maiden of goode,

And myghte kisse the kyng

For cbsyn, and she wolde.

" For-thi wercheth by wisdom,
And by wit also ;
And ledeth hire to Londone,
There it is y-shewed, U53
If any lawe wol loke
Thei ligge togideres ;
And though justices juggen hire
To be joyned to Fals,
Yet be war of weddynge ;
For witty is Truthe,
And Conscience is of his counseil,
And knoweth yow echone,
And if he fynde yow in defaute
And with the false holde,
It shal bi-sitte youre soules U84
Ful soure at the laste."

Herto assenteth Cyvyle,
Ac Symonye ne wolde,
Til he hadde silver for his service,
And also the notaries.

Thanne fette Favel forth
Floryns ynowe,
And bad Gile to gyven
Gold al aboute,
And namely to the notaries
That hem noon ne faille, 1175

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 37

And feffe false witnesses H76

With floryns ynowe,

" For thei may Mede a-maistrye,

And maken at my wille."
Tho this gold was y-gyve,

Gret was the thonkyng

To Fals and to Favel

For hire faire giftes,

And comen to conforten

From care the false,

And seiden, " Certes, sire,

Cessen shul we nevere, H87

Til Mede be thi wedded wif
. Thorugh wittes of us alle ;
* For we haye Mede a-maistried

With oure murie speche,

That she graunteth to goon,

With a good wille,

To London, to loken

If the lawe wolde

Juggen yow joyntly

In joie for evere."
Thanne was Falsnesse fayn, 1198

And Favel as blithe,

And leten somone alle segges

In shires aboute,

And bad hem alle be bown,

Beggers and othere,

To wenden with hem to Westmyn-

To witnesse this dede. [stre
Ac thanne cared thei for caples

To carien hem thider,

And Favel fette forth thanne

Foles ynowe, law

38 THE VISION OF

And sette Mede upon a sherreve
Shoed al newe.

And Fals sat on a sisour,
That softeli trotted ;
And Favel on a flaterere
Fetisly atired.

Tho hadde notaries none,
Anoyed thei were,
For Symonye and Cyvylle
Sholde on hire feet gange.

Ac thanne swoor Symonye,
And Cyvylle bothe, * 1221
That somonours sholde be sadeled
And serven hem echone,
And late apparaille thise provisours
In palfreyes wise,
Sire Symonye hymself
Shal sitte upon Mr bakkes.

" Denes and southdenes,
Drawe yow togideres,
Erchdekenes and officials,
And alle youre registrers,
Lat sadle hem with silver 1332
Oure synne to suffre,
As avoutrye and divorses,
And derne usurie,
To bere bisshopes aboute
A-brood in visitynge.

" Paulynes pryvees »
For pleintes in consistoriei
Shul serven myself
That Cyvyle is nempned.

" And cart-sadle the commissarie,
Oure cart shal he lede, 1248

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 39

And fecchen us vitailles 1244
At Ibrnicatores.

And maketh of Lyere a lang cart
To leden alle thise othere,
As freres and faitours,
That pn hire feet rennen."

AM thus Pals and Favel
Fareth forth togideres,
And Mede in the middes,
And alle thise men after.

I have no tome to telle
The tail that hire folwed ; 1255
Ac Gyle was for-goer,
And gyed hem alle.

Sothnesse seigh hem wel,
And seide but litel,
And priked his palfrey,
And passed hem alle,
And com to the kynges court,
And Conscience it tolde ;
And Conscience to the kyng
Carped it after. 1265

c< Now, by Crist," quod the kyng,
" And I cacche myghte
Fals or Favel,
Or any of hise feeris,
I wolde be wroken of tho wrecches
That wercheth so ille,
And doon hem hange by the hals,
And alle that hem maynteneth ;
Shal nevere man of this molde
Meynprise the leeste,
But right as the lawe wol loke,
Lat falle on hem alle." 1276

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40 THE VISION OF

And comaunded a constable 1878
That com at the firste,
To attachen tho tyrauntz,
" For any thyng I hote,
And fettreth faste Falsnesse,
F.or any kynnes giftes,
And girdeth of Gyles heed,
AnoVlat hym go no ferther ;
And if ye lacche Lyere,
Lat hym noght asoapen
Er he be put on the pillory,

For any preyere, I hote ; 1289

And bryngeth Mede to me

Maugree hem alle."
Drede at the dore stood,

And the doom herde,

And how the kyng comaunded

Constables and sergeauntz

Falsnesse and his felawshipe

To fettren and to bynden.

Thanne Drede wente wyghtliche,

And warned the False,

And bad hym fle for fere, 1300

And hise felawes alle.
Falsnesse for fere thanne

Fleigh to the flreres,

And Gyle dooth hym to go,

A-gast for to dye ;

Ac marchauntz metten with hym

And made hym abide,

And bi-shetten hym in hire shoppes

To shewen hire ware, .
Apparailed hym as apprentice
The peple to serve. 1311

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 41

Lightliche Lyere 1312
Leep awey thanne,
Lurkynge thorugh lanes,
To-lugged of manye.
He was nowher welcome,
For his manye tales,
Over al y-honted,
And y-hote trusse,
Til pardoners hadde pit6,
And pulled hym into house.
They wesshen hym and wiped hym,
And wounden hym in cloutes, 1323
And senten hym with selea
On Sondayes to chirches,
And yeven pardoun for pens
Pounde-mele aboute.

Thanne lourede leches,
And lettres thei sente,
That he sholde wonye with hem
Watres to loke.

Spycers speken with hym,
To spien hire ware ;
For he kouthe of hir craft, 1334
And knewe manye gommes.

And mynstrales and messagers
Mette with hym ones,
And helden hym an half-yeer
And ellevene dayes.

Freres with fair speche •
Fetten hym pennes,
And for knowynge of 'comeres
Coped hym as a trere ;
Ac he hath leve to lepen out,
As ofte as hym liketh, 1345

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42 THE VISION.

And is welcome whan he wile, 1346
And woneth with hem ofte.

Alle fledden for fere,
And flowen into hemes ;
Save Mede the mayde,
Na-mo dorste abide.
Ac trewely to telle,
She trembled for drede,
And ek wepte and wrong,
Whan she was attached. 1356

Digitized by

Passu* Tertius de Vmone s ut supra.

?0W is Mede the mayde,
And na-mo of hemalle,
With bedeles and with
baillies
Brought bifore the kyng*

The kyng called a clerk*
Kan I noght his name,
To take Mede the maide
And maken hire at ese.
w I shal assayen hire myself,
And soothliche appose,
What man of this moolde
That hire were levest* 1367
And if she werche bi wit,
And my wil folwe,
I wol forgyven hire this gilt,
So me God helpe 1 "

Curteisly the clerk thanne,
As the kyng highte,
Took Mede bi the myddel
And broghte hire, into chambre ;
And ther was murthe and mynstral*
Mede to plese. [cie,
They that wonyeth in Westmyn-
stre

Worshipeth hire alle, 1380

Digitized by Google

44 TEE VISION OF

Gentilliche with joye ; 1381

Tlie justices somme

Busked hem to the hour

Ther the burde dweUede,

To conforten hire kyndely,

By clergies leve ;

And seiden, " Mourne noght, Mede,

Ne make thow no sorwe ;

For we wol wisse the kyng,

And thi wey shape,

To be wedded at thi wille,

And wher thee leef liketh, 1392

For al Consciences cast

Or craft, as I trowe."

Mildely Mede thanne
Merciede hem alle
Of hire grete goodnesse,
And gaf hem echone
Coupes of clene gold,
And coppes of silver,
Bynges with rubies,
And richesses manye ;
The leeste man of hire meynee 1*03
A moton of golde.
Than laughte thei leve
Thise lordes at Mede.

With that comen clerkes
To conforten hire the same,
And beden hire be blithe ;
u For we beth thyne owene,
For to werche thi wille,
The while thow myght laste."

Hendiliche heo thanne
Bi-highte hem the same, hu

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PIERS PLOUGHMJN. 45

To, loven hem lelly, 1415

And lordes to make,

And in the consistorie at the court

Do callen hire names ;

" Shal no lewednesse lette

The leode that I lovye,

That he ne worth first ayaunced ;»

For I am bi-knowen,

Ther konnynge clerkes

Shul clokke bi-hynde."

Thanne cam ther a confessour,
Coped as a frere ; 1436
To IVtede the mayde
He meved thise wordes,
And seide ful softely,
In shrift as it were,
" Theigh lewed men and lered men
Hadde leyen by thee bothe,
And Falsnesse hadde y-folwed thee
Alle thise fifty wynter,
I shal assoille thee myself
For a seem of whete,
And also be thi bedeman, 1437
And bere wel thi message
Amonges knyghtes and clerkes, .
Conscience to tome."

Thanne Mede for hire mysdedes
To that man kneled,
And shrof hire of hire sherewed-
Shamelees, I trowe ; [nesse,
Tolde hym a tale,
And took hym a noble,
For to ben hire bedeman
And hire brocour als. 1448

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46 THE VISION OF

Thaime lie assoiled hire soone,
And sithen he seide,
" We have a wyndow in werchynge
Wole sitten us fill hye,
Woldestow glaze that gable
And grave therinne thy name,
Syker sholde thi soule be
Hevene to have."

" Wiste I that," quod that wom-
" I wolde noght spare [man,
For to be youre frend, frere,
And faile yow nevere, 1460
While ye love lordes
That lecherie haunten,
And lakketh noght ladies
That loven wel the same.
It is freletee of flesshe,
Te fynden it in bokes,
And a cours of kynde
Wherof we comen alle.
Who may scape sclaundre,
The scathe is soone amended ;
It is synne of the sevene 1*71
Sonnest relessed.

Have mercy," quod Mede,
" Of men that it haunteth,
And I shal covere youre kirk,
Youre cloistre do maken,
Wowes do whiten,
And wyndowes glazen,
Do peynten and portraye,
And paie for the makynge,
That every segge shal seye
I am suster of youre house," 1482

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 47

Ac God to alle good folk 1488
Swich gravynge defendeth,
To writen in wyndowes
Of hir wel dedes,

An aventure pride be peynted there,

And pomp of the world ;

For Crist knoweth thi conscience,

And thi kynde wille,

And thi cost and thi coveitise,

And who the catel oughte.

For-thi I lere yow, lordes,
Leveth swiche werkes ; im
To writen in wyndowes
Of youre wel dedes,
Or to greden after Goddes men
Whan ye dele doles,
On aventure ye have youre hire here,
And youre hevene als.
Nemat sinistra quidfaciat dextra.

Lat noght thi left half
Late ne rathe
Wite what thow werchest
With thi right syde 5 isos
For thus by the gospel
Goode men doon hir almesse.

Maires and maceres,
That menes ben bitwene
The kyng and the comune
To kepe the lawes,
To punysshe on pillories
And pynynge-stooles,
Brewesters and baksters,
Bochiers and cokes,
For thise are men on this molde 1616

48 THE VISION OF

That moost harm wercheth 1517

To the povere peple

That pereel-mele buggen ;

For thei enpoisone the peple

Pryveliehe and ofte,

Thei richen thorugh regratrie,

And rentes hem biggen,

With that the povere peple

Sholde putte in hire wombe.

For toke thei on trewely,

Thei tymbred nought so heighe,

Ne boughte none burgages, 1528

Be ye ful certeyne.

Ac Mede the mayde
The mair hath bi-sought
Of alle swiche selleris
Silver to take,
Or presentz withouten pens,
As pieces of silver,
Eynges or oother richesse,
The regratiers to mayntene ;
" For my love," quod that lady,
" Love hem echone, 1538
And suffre hem to selle
Som del ayeins reson."

Salomon the sage
A sermon he made,
For to amenden maires
And men that kepen lawes ;
And tolde hem this teme,
That I telle thynke,
Ignis devorabit tabernacula eorum
qui libenter accipiunt munera,

etc. 3660

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 49

Among thise lettrede leodes 1551
This Latyn is to mene,
That fir shal falle and brenne
Al to bloo askes
The houses and homes
Of hem that desireth
Tiftes or yeres-yeves
By cause of hire offices.

The kyng fro the conseil cam,
And called after Mede,
And of sente hire as swithe
With sergeauntz manye, 1563
And broughte hire to boure
With blisse and with joye.

Curteisly the kyng thanne
Comsed to telle,
To Mede the mayde
He meveth thise wordes,
M Unwittily, womman,
Wroght hastow ofte,
Ac worse wroghtestow nevere
Than tho thow Fals toke.
But I forgyve thee that gilt, 1573
And graunte thee my grace ;
Hennes to thi deeth day
Do so na-moore.

"I have a knyght Conscience,
Cam late fro biyonde ;
If he wilneth thee to wif,
Wiltow hym have?"

" Ye, lord," quod that lady,
"Lordforbedeit ellis!
But I be holly at youre heste,
Lat hange me soone." i584
4

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50 THE VISION OF

And thanne was Conscience called
To come and appere
Bifore the kyng and his conseil,
As clerkes and othere.

Knelynge Conscience
To the kyng touted,
To wite what his wille were,
And what he do wolde. ^

" Woltow wedde this womman,
« If I wole assente ? [quod the kyng,
For she is fayn of thi felaweshipe,
For to be thi make." 16W

Quod Conscience to the kyng,
' " Crist it me forbede I
Er I wedde swich a wif ,
Wo me bitide !

For she is frele of hire feith,

Fikel of hire speche,

And maketh men mysdo

Many score tymes ;

Trust of hire tresor

Bitrayeth ful manye.

" Wyves and widewes 1607

Wantonnes she techeth,

And lereth hem lecherie

That loveth hire giftes*

Youre fader she felled

Thorugh false biheste,

And hath enpoisoned popes,

And peired holy chirche.

Is noght a bettre baude,

By hym that me made !

Bitwene hevene and helle,

In erthe though men soughte. wis

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 51

For she is tikel of hire tail, mm
And tale-wis of hire tonge ;
As commune as a cartwey
To ech a knave that walketh,
To monkes, to mynstrales,
To meseles in hegges.

" Sisours and somonours,
Swiche men hire preiseth ;
Sherreves of shires
Were shent if she ne were ;
For she dooth men lese hire lond
And hire lif bothe ; igso
She leteth passe prisoners,
And paieth for hem ofte,
And gyveth the gailers gold
And grotes togidres,
To unfettre the fals
Fie where hym liketh \
And taketh the trewe bi the top
And tieth hem faste,
And hangeth hem for hatrede
That harm dide nevere.

" To be corsed in consistorie iwi
She counteth noght a bene ;
For she copeth the commissarie,
And coteth hise clerkes.
She is assoiled as soone
As hireself liketh ;
And may neigh as muche do
In a monthe one,
As youre secret seel
In sixe score dayes.
For she is pryvee with the pope,
Provisours it knoweth ; 165?

52 THE VISION OF

For sire Symonie and hirselve less %
Seleth hire bulles.

" She blesseth thise bisshopes,
Theightheibelewed;
Provendreth persones,
And preestes maynteneth,
To have lemmans and lotebies
Alle hire lif daies,
And bryngeth forth barnes
Ayein forbode lawes.
Ther she is wel with the kyng,
Wo is the reaume ; lm
"For she is favourable to fals,

And de-fonleth truthe ofte.
" By Jhesus ! with hire jeweles

Youre justices she shendeth,

And lith ayein the lawe,

And letteth hym the gate,

That feith may noght have his forth,

Hire floryns go so thikke.

She ledeth the lawe as hire list,

And love-daies maketh,

And doth men lese thorugh hire love.

That lawe myghte wynne

The maze for a mene man,

Though he mote hire evere.

Lawe is so lordlich

And looth to maken ende,

TVithouten presentz or pens

She pleseth wel fewe.
" Barons and burgeises

She bryngeth in sorwe,

And al the comune in care

That coveiten lyve in truthe ; 1686

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 53

For clergie and coveitise 1687

She coupleth togidres.

This is the lif of that lady ;

Now Lord gyve hire sorwe !

And alle that maynteneth hire men,

Meschaunce hem bitide I

For povere men may have no power

To pleyne hem, though thei smerte.

Swich a maister is Mede

Among men of goode."

Thanne mournede Mede,
And mened hire to the kynge 1698
To have space to speke,
Spede if she myghte.

The kyng graunted hire grace,
With a good wille,
" Excuse thee, if thow kanst ;
I kan na-moore seggen.
For Conscience accuseth thee,
To congeien thee for evere."

" Nay, lord," quod that lady,
" Leveth hym the werse,
Whan ye witen witterly 1709
Wher the wrong liggeth.
Ther that meschief is gret,
Mede may helpe.
And thow knowest, Conscience,
I kam noght to chide
Ne deprave thi persone,
With a proud herte.
Wei thow woost, wernarde,
But if thow wolt gabbe,
Thow hast hanged on myn half
EUevene tymes, 1720

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54 THE VISION OF

And also griped my gold, 1721
Gyve it where thee lied ;
And whi thow wrathest thee now,
Wonder me thynketh.
Tet I may as I myghte
Menske thee with giftes,
And mayntene thi manhode
Moore than thow knowest.

" Ac thow hast famed me foule
Bifore the kyng here ;
For killed I nevere no kyng
Ne counseiled therafter, 17S2
Ne dide as thow demest
I do it on the kynge.

" In Normandie was he noght
Noyed for my sake ;
Ac thow thiself soothly
Shamedest hym ofte,
Crope into a cabane
For cold of thi nayles,
Wendest that wynter
Wolde han y-lasted evere,
And dreddest to be ded 17#
For a dym cloude,
And hyedest homward
For hunger of thi wombe.

" Withouten pite*, pilour,
Povere men thow robbedest ;
And bere hire bras at thi bak
To Caleis to selle,
Ther I lafte with my lord,
His lif for to save.
I made his men murye,
And mournynge lette ; 1754

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 55

I hatred hem on the bak,

1755

And boldede hire hertes,
And dide hem hoppe for hope
To have me at wille.
Hadde I ben marchal of his men,
By Marie of hevene !
I dorste have leyd my lif,
And no lasse wedde,
He sholde have be lord of that lond
In lengthe and in brede,
And also kyng of that kith
His kyn for to helpe, 1768
The leeste brol of his blood
A barones piere.

" Cowardly thow, Conscience,
Conseiledest hym thennes,
To leven his lordshipe
For a litel silver,
That is the richeste reaume
That reyn over-hoveth.

" It bi-cometh to a kyng
That kepeth a reaume,
To yeve mede to men, . 1777
That mekely hym serveth,
To aliens and to alle men,
To honouren hem with giftes ;
Mede inaketh hym bi-loved

" Emperours and erles,
And alle manere lordes,
Tor giffce&han yonge men
To renne and to ryde.

" The pope and alle the prelates

Presentz underfongen,

1788

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Google

56 THE VISION OF

And medeth men hemselven 1789
To mayntene hir lawes.

u Sergeauntz for hire servyce,
We seeth wel the sothe,
Taken mede of hir maistres,
As thei mowe acorde.

" Beggeres for hir biddynge,
Bidden men mede.

" Mynstrales for hir myrthe,
Mede thei aske.

" The kyng hath mede of his men,
To make pees in londe. isoo

" Men that teche children,
Craven after mede.

"Preestes that prechen thepeple
To goode, asken mede,
And massepens and hire mete
At the meel-tymes.

f * AUe kynne craftes men
Craven mede for hir prentices.

" Marchauntz and Mede
Mote nede go togideres.
No wight, as I wene, I8ii
Withouten mede may libbe."

Quod the kyng to Conscience,
" By Crist ! as me thynketh,
Mede is wel worthi
The maistrie to have."

" Nay," quod Conscience to the
And kneled to the erthe, • [kyng,
" Ther are two manere of medes,
My lord, with youre leve.

<( That oon God of his grace
Graunteth in his blisse 1822

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PIERS PLOUGHMJN. 57

To tho that wel werchen, 182s
While thei ben here ;
The prophete precheth therof,
And putte it in the Sauter,
Domine, quis habitabit in taberna-
culo tuo ? [wones,

"Lord, who shal wonye in thi
And with thyne holy seintes,
Or resten in thyne holy hilles ?
This asketh David ;
And David assoileth it hymself,
As the Sauter telleth. 18S4
Qui ingreditur sine macula et ope-
rator justitiam,

<c Tho that entren of o colour,
And of one wille,
And han y-wroght werkes
"With right and with reson;
And he that useth noght
The lyf of usurie,
And enformeth povere men,
And pursueth truthe.
Qui pecuniam suam non dedit ad
usuram, et munera super innoc.
etc. [cent,

" And alle that helpen the inno-
And holden with the rightfulle,
Withouten mede doth hem good,
And the truthe helpeth,
Swiche nianere men, my lord,
Shul have this firste mede
Of God at a gret nede,
Whan thei gon hennes. [lees,

" Ther is another mede mesure-

58 THE VISION 01

That maistres desireth, 1867

To mayntene mysdoers

Mede thei take,

And therof seith the Sauter

In a salmes ende,

In quorum manibus iniquitates
sunt, dextra eorum repleta
est muneribus.

" And he that gripeth hir gold,
So me God helpe !
Shal abien it bittre,
Or the book lieth. 1868

" Preestes and persons
That plesynge desireth,
That taken mede and moneie
For masses that thei syngeth,
Taken hire mede here,
As Mathew us techeth.
Amen, Amen, recijriebant mercedem
mam.

u That laborers and lowe folk
Taken of hire maistres,
It is no manere mede, 187»
But a mesurable hire.

M In marchaundise is no mede,
I may it wel avowe,
It is a permutacion apertly,
A penyworth for another.

" Ac reddestow nevere Begum?
Thow recrayed Mede,
Whi the vengeaunce fel
On Saul and on his children?
God sente to Saul
By Samuel the prophete, 1890

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 59

That Agag of Amalec, 1891
And al his peple after,
Sholden deye for a dede
That doon hadde hire eldres.

" For-thi seide Samuel to Saul,
* God hymself hoteth
Thee be buxom at his biddynge,
His wil to fulfUle ;
Weend to Amalec with thyn oost,
And what thow fyndest there sle it,
Burnes and beestes
Bren hem to dethe, 1902
Widwes and wyves,
Wommen and children,
Moebles and un-moebles,
And al thow myght fynde,
Bren it, bere it noght awey,
Be it never so riche,
For mede ne for monee,
Loke thow destruye it,
Spille it and spare it noght,
Thow shalt spede the bettre/
. " And for he coveited hir catel,
And the kyng spared,
Forbar hym and his beestes bothe,
As the Bible witnesseth,
Oother wise than he was
Warned of the prophete,
God seide to Samuel
That Saul sholde deye,
And al his seed for that synne
Shenfulliche ende.
Swich a meschief Mede made
Saul the kyng to have, 1924

60 THE VISION OF

That God hated hym for evere, 1925
And alle hise heires after.

" The culorum of this cas
Kepe I noght to telle,
On aventure it noyed men,
Noon ende wol I make,
For so is this world went
With hem that han power,
That who so seith hem sothest
Is sonnest y-blamed.

" Conscience knowe this,
For kynde wit it me taughte, 1936
That Reson shal regne
And reaumes governe,
And right as Agag hadde,
Happe shul somme,
Samuel shal sleen hym,
And Saul shal be blamed,
And David shal be diademed,
And daunten hem alle ;
And oon cristene kyng
Kepen hem alle.

Shal na-moore Mede 1947

Be maister, as she is nouthe ;

Ac love and lowenesse

And leautee togideres,

Thise shul ben maistres on moolde,

Truthe to save. [truthe,

c< And who so trespaseth ayein
Or taketh ayein his wille,
Leaut^ shal don hym lawe,
And no lif ellis ;
Shal no sergeaunt for his service
Were a silk howve, 1958

Digitized by

TIERS PLOUGHMAN. 61

Ne no pelure in his cloke 1959
Tor pledynge at the barre.
Mede of mysdoeres
Maketh manye lordes,
And over lordes lawes
Buleth the reaumes.

" Ac kynde love shal come yit,
And conscience togideres,
And make of lawe a laborer ;
Swich love shal arise,
And swich a pees among the peple,
And a perfit truthe, " 1970
That Jewes shul wene in hire wit,
And wexen wonder glade,
That Moyses or Messie
Be come into this erthe,
And have wonder in hire hertes
That men beth so trewe.

M Alle that beren baselarde,
Brood swerd or launce,
Ax outher hachet,
Or any wepene ellis,
Shal be demed to the deeth, 1981
But if he do it smythye
Into sikel or to sithe,
To shaar or to kultour ;
Confiabunt gladios suos in vomeres,

" Ech man to pleye with a plow,
Pykoise or spade,
Spynne or sprede donge,
Or spille hymself with sleuthe.

etc.

Digitized by

Google

62 THE VISION OF

And dyngen upon David iws

Eche day til eve.

Huntynge or haukynge

If any of hem use, .

His boost of his benefice

Worth by-nomen hym after.

Shal neither kyng ne knyght,

Constable ne meire,

Overlede the commune,

Ne to the court sompne,

Ne putte hem in panel

To doon hem plighte Mr truthe ;

But after the dede that is doon

Oon doom shal rewarde,

Mercy or no mercy,

As truthe wole acorde. [court,

" Kynges court and commune
Consistorie and chapitle,
Al shal be but oon court,
And oon baron be justice.
Thanne worth Trewe-tonge a tidy .
That tened me nevere ; [man,
Batailles shul none be, sow
Ne no man bere wepene ;
And what smyth that any smytheth,
Be smyte therwith to dethe.
N<m levabit gem contra gentem
gladium, etc,

" And er this fortune falle,
Fynde men shul the worste,
By sixe sonnes and a shipe,
And half a shef of arwes,
And the myddel of a moone,
Shal make the Jewes to torne, 203«

Digitized by

PIEB8 PLOUGHMAN. 63

And Sarzynes for that sighte 2027
Shul synge Gloria in excelsis, etc.
For Makometh and Mede
Mys-happe shul that tyme,
For meUus est bornm nomen quam
divitia multa."

Al so wroth ad the wynd
Weex Mede in a while,
" I kan no Latyn," quod she,
" Clerkes wite the sothe ;
Se what Salomon seith
In Sapience bokes, 2038
That thei that gyven giftes
The victorie wynneth,
And moost worshipe hadde ther
As holy writ telleth : [with
Honorem adquiret qui dot munera P
etc." [science,

"Leve wel, lady," quod Con-
" That thi Latyn be trewe ;
Ac thow art lik a lady
That radde a lesson ones,
Was omnia probate, 2049
And that plesed hire herte ;
For that lyne was no lenger
At the leves ende.
Hadde she Ioked that oother half,
And the leef torned,
She sholde have foundenfelewordes
Folwynge theraffcer,
Quod bonum est tenete;
Truthe that text made.
And so ferde ye, madame,
Ye kouthe na-moore fynde, 2060

Digitized by

64 THE VISION.

Tho ye loked on Sapience sott
Sittynge in youre studie.
This text that ye han told
Were good for lordes ;
Ac yow fayled a konnynge clerk
That kouthe the leef han torned.
And if ye seche Sapience eft,
Fynde shul ye that folweth,
A fill teneful text
To hem that taketh mede ;
And that is animam autem aufert
acdpientium, etc., 2072
And that is the tail of the text ;
Of that that she shewed,
That theigh we wynne worshipe,
And with mede have victorie,
The soule that the sonde taketh
By so muche is bounde." 2078

"im- >m# "fctr ^fclf >w

Digitized by

Pasms Quartm de Visione, ut
supra.

Kis hire," quod the kyng,
" Conscience, I hote. ,, [science,
"Nay, by Crist !" quod Con-
" Congeye me er for evere,
But Keson rede me therto,
Bather wol I deye." [the kyng
"And I comaunde thee," quod
To Conscience thanne,
" Kape thee to ryde, 2091
And Eeson thow fecche ;
Comaunde hym that he come
My counseil to here,
For he shal rule my reaume
And rede me the beste,
And acounte with thee, Conscience,
So me Crist helpe !
How thow lernest the peple,
The lered and the lewed."
" I am fayn of that foreward,"

Seide the freke thanne,

2102

5

Digitized by

Google

66 THE VISION OF

And ryt right to Reson, »<»
And rouneth in his ere,
And seide as the kyng bad,
And sithen took his leve.

"Ishalarrayemetoryde, quod
" Reste thee a while." [Beson,
And called Caton his knave,
Curteis of speche, j
And also Tomme Trewe-tonge,—
" Tel me no tales,
Ne lesynge to laughen of,
For I loved hem nevere ^ 2iu
And set my sadel upon Suffre,
Til I se my tyme,
And lat warroke hym wel
With witty-wordes gerthes,
And hange on hym the hevy brydel
To holde his heed lowe,
For he wol make 1 wehee V
Twies er he be there."

Thanne Conscience upon his
Carieth forth faste, [capul
And Reson with hym ryt, 3125
Rownynge togideres,
Whiche maistries Mede
Maketh on this erthe.

Oon Waryn Wisdom,
And Witty his feere,
Folwed hym faste,
For thei hadde to doone lry e >
In th'escheker and in the chaunce-
To ben descharged of thynges ;
And riden faste, for Beson sholde
Bede hem the beste, 3136

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 67

For to save hem for silver 2137
From shame and from harmes.
And Conscience knew hem wel,
Thei loved coveitise ;
And bad Eeson ryde faste,
And recche of hir neither.
"Ther are wiles in hire wordes,
And with Mede thei dwelleth ;
Ther as wrathe and wranglynge is,
Ther wynne thei silver ;
Ac where is love and leautee,
Thei wol noght come there. 214s
Contritio et infelicitas in viis eorum,
etc.

" Thei ne yeveth noght of God
One goose wynge.

Non est timor Dei ante oculos
eorum, etc.

" For woot God thei wolde do
For a dozeyne chicknes, [moore
Or as manye capons,
Or for a seem of otes,
Than for the love of oure Lord, 2159
Or alle hise leeve seintes.
For-thi Keson lat hem ride,
Tho riche by hemselve,
For Conscience knoweth hem noght,
Ne Crist, as I trowe."
And thanne Eeson rood faste
The righte heighe gate,
As Conscience hym kenned,
Til thei come to the kynge.

Curteisly the kyng thanne
Com ayeins Eeson, 2170

Digitized by

68 THE VISION OF

And bitwene hymself and his sone
Sette hym on benche ;
And wordeden wel wisely
A gret while togideres.

And tbanne com Pees into par-
And putte forth a bille, [lement,
How Wrong ayeins his wille
Hadde his wif taken,
And how he ravysshede Bose
Eeignaldes loove,
And Margrete of hir maydenhede
Maugree hire chekes. 2182
" Bothe my gees and my grys
Hise gadelynges feceheth,
I dar noght for fere of hem
Fighte ne chide.
He borwed of me Bayard,
He broughte hym horn nevere,
Ne no ferthyng therfore,
For ought I koude plede.
He maynteneth hise men
To murthere myne hewen,
Forstalleth my feires, ^
And fighteth in my chepyng,
And breketh up my berries dore,
And bereth awey my whete,
And taketh me but a tattle*
For ten quarters of otes ;
And yet he beteth me therto,
And lyth by my mayde.
I am noght hardy for hym
Unnethe to loke."

The kyng knew he seide sooth,
For Conscience hym tolde 2204

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 69

That Wrong was a wikked luft, 2205
And wroghte nrache sorwe.

Wrong was afered thanne,
And Wisdom he songhte,
To maken pees with hise pens ;
And profred hym manye,
And seide, " Hadde I love of my lord
litel wolde I recche, [the kyng,
Theigh Pees and his power
Pleyned hym evere."

Tho wente Wisdom
And sire Waryn the Witty, 2216
For that Wrong hadde y-wroght
So wikked a dede,
And warnede Wrong tho
With swich a wis tale,
" Who so wercheth by wille,
Wrathe maketh ofte ;
I sey it by myself,
Thow shalt it wel fynde ;
But if Mede it make,
Thi meschief is uppe,
For bothe thi lif and thi lond 2227
Lyth in his grace."

Thanne wowede Wrong
Wisdom ful yerne,
To maken pees with his pens,
Handy dandy payed.

Wisdom and Wit thanne
Wenten togidres,
And token Mede myd hem
Mercy to wynne.

Pees putte forth his heed,
And his panne blody, 223s

Digitized by

70 THE VISION OF

" Withouten gilt, God it woot, 2239
Gat I this scathe ;
Conscience and the commune
Knowen the sothe."

Ac Wisdom and Wit
Were aboute faste,
To overcomen the kyng
With.catel, if thei myghte.

The kyng swor by Crist,
And by his crowne bothe,
That Wrong for hise werkes
Sholde wotholie; 2250
And comaundede a constable
To casten hym in irens,
And lete hym noght thise seven yer
Seen his feet ones.

" God woot," quod Wisdom,
" That were noght the beste ;
And he amendes nowe make,
Lat maynprise hym have,
And be borgh for his bale,
And buggen hym boote,
And so amenden that is mys-do 2261
And evere moore the bettre."

Wit acorded therwith,.
And seide the same,
" Bettre is that boote
Bale a-doun brynge,
Than bale be y-bet,
And boote never the bettre."

And thanne gan Mede to mengen
And mercy she bi-soughte, [hire,
And profrede Pees a present
Al of pure golde : 2272

Digitized by Google

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 71

" Have this, man, of me," quod she,
" To amenden thi scathe,
For I wol wage for Wrong
He wol do so na-moore."

Pitously Pees thanne
Preyde to the kynge,
To have mercy on that man
That mys-dide hym so ofte ;
" For he hath waged me wel,
As Wisdom hym taughte,
And I forgyve hym that gilt
With a good wille, 2284
So that the kyng assente,
I kan seye no bettre ;
For Mede hath me amendes maad,
I may na-moore axe."

" Nay," quod the kyng tho,
" So me Crist helpe !
Wrong wendeth noght so a-wey,
Erst wole I wite moore.
For lope he so lightly,
Laughen he wolde ;
And eft the boldere be 2295
To bete myne hewen ;
But Beson have ruthe on hym,
He shal reste in my stokkes ;
And that as longe as he lyveth,
But lownesse hym borwe."

Som men radde Beson tho
To have ruthe on that shrewe,
And for to counseille the kyng,
And Conscience after ;
That Mede moste be maynpernour
Beson thei bi-soughte. " 2306

Digitized by

72 THE VISION OF

" Eeed me noght," quod Beson,
" No ruthe to have,
Til lordes and ladies
Loven alle truthe,
And haten alle harlotrie,
To heren or to mouthen it.

" Til Parnelles purfille
Be put in hire hucche,
And childrene cherissynge
Be chastynge with yerdes,
And harlottes holynesse
Be holden for an hyne. 2318

<c Til clerkene coveitise be
To clothe the povere and fede,
And religiouse romeris
Recordare in hir cloistres,"'
As seynt Beneyt hem bad,
Bernard and Fraunceis,
And til prechours prechynge
Be preved on hemselve.

" Til the kynges counseil
Be the commune profit,
Til bisshopes bayardes 2829
Ben beggeris chaumbres,
Hire haukes and hire houndes
Help to povere religious.

" And til seint James be sought
There I shal assigne,
That no man go to^ialis
But if he go for evere ; —
And alle Borne renneres,
For robberes biyonde,
Bere no silver over see
That signe of kyng sheweth, 2840

Digitized by Google

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 73

Neither grave ne ungrave, 2341

Gold neither silver,

Upon forfeture of that fee,

Who so fynt it at Dovere,

But if he be marchaunt or his man,

Or messager with lettres,

Provysour or preest,

Or penaunt for hise synnes.

M And yet," quod Reson, " by the
I shal no ruthe have, [Rode !

While Mede hath the maistrie
In this moot-halle. 3353
Ac I may shewe ensamples,
As I se onther while,
I seye it by myself," quod he>
" And it so were
That I were kyng with coroune
To kepen a reaume,
Sholde nevere Wrong in this world,
That I wite myghte,
Ben unpunysshed in my power,
For peril of my soule,
Ne gete my grace for giftes, 2363
So me God save !
Ne for no mede have mercy,
But mekenesse it make ;
For nullum malum the man
Mette with inpunitum,
And bad nullum bonum
Be irremuneratum.

"Lat youre confessour, sire kyng,
Construe this unglosed ;
And if ye werchen it in werk,
I wedde myne eris, 3374

Digitized by

74 THE VISION OF

That lawe slial ben a laborer 2875
And lede a-feld donge,
And love shal lede thi lond,
As theleefliketh."

Clerkes that were confessours
Coupled hem togideres,
Al to construe this clause,
And for the kynges profit,
Ac noght for confort of the com-
Ne for the kynges soule ; [mune,
For I seigh Mede in the moot-halle
On men of lawe wynke, 2386
And thei laughynge lope to hire,
And left Eeson manye.
Waryn Wisdom
Wynked upon Mede,
And seide, "Madame, I am youre
What so my mouth jangle ; [man,
I falle in floryns," quod that freke,
" And faile speche ofte."

AUe rightfulle recordede
That Eeson truthe tolde ;
And Wit acorded therwith, 2897
And comendede hise wordes,
And the mooste peple in the halle,
And manye of the grete,
And leten Mekenesse a maister,
And Mede a mansed sherewe.

Love leet of hire light,
And leaute* yet lasse,
And seiden it so heighe
That al the halle it herde,
" Who so wilneth hire to wif,
For welthe of hire goodes, 2408

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 75

But lie be knowe for a cokewold,2409
Kut of my nose."

Mede mornede tho,
And made hevy chere,
For the mooste commune of that
Called hire an hore. [court
Ac a sisour and a somonour
Sued hire faste,
And a sherreves clerk
Bisherewed at the route ;
" For ofte have I," quod he,
" Holpen yow at the barre, 3420
And yet yeve ye me nevere
The worth of a risshe."

The kyng callede Conscience,
And afterward Eeson,
And recordede that Reson
Hadde rightfully shewed ;
And modUiche upon Mede
With myght the kyng loked ;
And gan wexe wroth with lawe,
For Mede almoost hadde shent it ;
And seide, "thorugh lawe, as I
I lese manye eschetes ; [leve !
Mede overmaistreth lawe,
And muche Tfuthe letteth.
Ac Reson shal rekene with yow,
If I regne any while,
And deme yow bi this day,
As ye han deserved.
Mede shal noght maynprise yow,
By the Marie of hevene !
I wole have leaut^ in lawe,
And lete be al youre janglyng ; 2442

76 THE VISION.

And as moost folk witnesseth wel,2443
Wrong shal be demed."

Quod Conscience to the kyng,
c< But the commune wole assente,
It is ful hard, by myn heed !
Hertoo to brynge it,
AUe ^roure lige leodes
To lede thus evene." [rode !"

"By hym that raughte on the
Quod Beson to the kynge,
" But if I rule thus youre reaume,
Rende out my guttes, 2464
If ye bidden buxomnesse
Be of myn assent."

" And I assente," seith the kyng,
" By seinte Marie my lady !
By my counseil commune,
Of clerkes and of erles ;
Ac redily, Beson,
Thow shalt noght ride fro me,
For, as longe as I lyre,
Lete thee I nelle."

" I am al redy," quod Beson,
" To reste with yow evere ;
So Conscience be of oure counseil,
I kepe no bettre." *

" And I graunte," quod the kyng,
" Goddes forbode ellis !
Als longe as oure lyf lasteth,
Lyve we togideres." 2472

Digitized by

Passu8 Quintm de Fisione, ut
supra.

J^^f^HE kyng and hise knyghtes
vS EES To the kirke wente,
SPi Ills To here matyns of the day

And the masse after.
Thanne waked I of my wynkyng,
And wo was withalle,
That I ne hadde slept sadder,
And y-seighen moore.
Ac er I hadde faren a furlong,
Feyntise me hente,
That I ne myghte ferther a foot
For defaute of slepynge,
And sat softely a-doun, 2485
And seide my bileye,
And so I bablede on my bedes,
Thei broughte me a-slepe.
And thanne saugh I muche moore
Than I bifore of tolde,
For I seigh the feld ful of folk,
That I bifore of seide,
And how Keson gan arayen hym
Al the reaume to preche,
And with a cros afore the kyng
Comsede thus to techen. 2496

Digitized by

78 THE VISION OF

He preved that thise pestilences
Were for pure synne,
And the south-westrene wynd
On Saterday at even
Was pertliche for pure pride,
And for no point ellis ;
Pyries and plum-trees
Were puffed to the erthe,
In ensaumple that the segges
Sholden do the bettre ;
Beches and brode okes
Were blowen to the grounde, 2508
Turned upward hire tailes,
In tokenynge of drede
That dedly synne er domes-day
Shal for-doon hem alle.

Of this matere I myghte
Mamelen fill longe ;
Ac I shal seye as I saugh,
So me God helpe !
How pertly afore the peple
Eeson bigan to preche.

He bad Wastour go werche, 2519
What he best kouthe,
And wynnen his wastyng
With som maner crafte.

He preide Pernele
Hir purfil to lete,
And kepe it in hire cofre
For catel at hire nede.

Tomme Stowne he taughte
To take two staves,
And fecche Felice horn
Fro the wynen pyne. 2530

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 79

He waraede Watte 2531

His wif was to blame,

For hire heed was worth half marc,

And his hood noght worth a grote ;

And bad Bette kutte

A bough outher tweye,

And bete Beton therwith,

But if she wolde werche.

And thanne he chargede chapmen
To chastizen hir children,
Late no wynnyng hem for-wanye
While thei be yonge, 2542
Ne for no poustee of pestilence
Plese hem noght out of reson.
" My sire seide so to me,
And so dide my dame,
That the levere child
The moore loore bihoveth ;
And Salomon seide the same,
That Sapience made,
Quiparcit virga, odit Jilium.
The Englissh of this Latyn is,
Who so wole it knowe, 2553
Who so spareth the spring,
Spilleth hise children.

And sithen he prechede prelates
And preestes togideres,
" That ye prechen to the peple,
Preve it on yowselve,
And dooth it in dede,
It shal drawe yow to goode ;
If ye leven as ye leren us,
We shul leve yow the bettre."

And sithen he radde Eeligion 2664

80. TEE VISION OF

Hir rule to holde ; 3665
" Lest the kyng and his conseil
Youre comunes apeire,
And be stywardes of youre stedes,
Til ye be ruled bettre."

And sithen he counseiled the kyng
His commune to lovye ;
" It is thi trewe tresor,
And tryacle at thy nede."

And sithen he preide the pope
Have pite* on holy chirche,
And er he gyve any grace, 2576
Governe first hymselve.

" And ye that han lawes to kepe,
Lat truthe be youre coveitise,
Moore than gold outher giftes,
If ye wol God plese ;
For who so contrarieth Truthe,
He telleth in the gospel,
That God knoweth hym noght,
Ne no seynt of hevene.
Amen dico vobis, nescio vos.

"And ye that seke seynt James,
And seyntes of Borne,
Seketh seynt Truthe,
For he may save yow alle ;
Qui cumpatre etjilio,
That faire hem bi-falle
That seweth my sermon."
And thus seyde Eeson.

Thanne ran Eepentaunce,
And reherced his teme ;
And garte Wille to wepe
Water with hise eighen. 2598

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. K 81

Pernele Proud-herte 2599
Platte hire to the erthe,
And lay longe er she loked,
And "Lord, mercy!" cryde,
And bi-highte to hym
That us alle made,
She sholde unsowen hir serk,
And sette there an heyre,
To affaiten hire flesshe
That fiers was to synne.
" Shal nevere heigh herte me hente,
But holde I wole me lowe 26io
And suffre to be mys-seyd,
And so dide I nevere ;
But now I wole meke me,
And mercy biseche,
For al this I have
Hated in myn herte."

Thanne Lechour seide, "Alias !" I
And on oure Lady he cryde,
To maken mercy for hise mys-dedes
Bitwene God and his soule;
With that he sholde the Saterday,
Seven yer therafter,
. Drynke but myd the doke,
And dyne but ones.

Envye with hevy herte 5
Asked after shrifte,
And carefully mea culpa
He comsed to shewe.
He was as pale as a pelet,
In the palsy he semed ;
And clothed in a kaurymaury,
I kouthe it nought discryve, 2632
6

Digitized by

82 THE VISION OF

In kirtel and conrtepy, 2633

And a knyf by his syde ;

Of a freres frokke

Were the fore-sieves ;

And as a leek that hadde y-leye

Jjonge in the sonne,

So loked he with lene chekes

Lourynge foule.

His body was to-bollen for wrathe,
That he boot hise lippes ; [fast,
And wryngynge he yede with the
To wreke hymself he thoughte 26*4
With werkes or with wordes,
Whan he seyghe his tyme.
Ech a word that he warpe
Was of a neddres tonge ;
Of chidynge and of chalangynge
Was his chief liflode,
With bakbitynge and bismere,
And berynge of fals witnesse.

" I wolde ben y-shryve," quod this
"And I for shame dorste ; [sherewe,
I wolde be gladder, by God ! 2666
That Gybbe hadde meschaunce,
Than though I hadde this woukey-
A weye of Essex chese. [wonne

" I have aneghebore by me,
I have anoyed hym ofte,
And lowen on hym to lordes
To doon hymlese his silver,
And maad his frendes be his foon
Thorugh my false tonge ;
His grace and his goode happes
Greven me ful soore. 2666

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 83

" Bitwene manye and manye 2667
I make debate ofte,
That bothe lif and lyme
Is lost thorugh my speche.
And whan I mete hym in market
That I moost hate,
I hailse hym hendely,
As I his frend were ;
For he is doughtier than I,
I dar do noon oother;
Ac hadde I maistrie and myght,
God woot my wille ! 2678

" And whan I come to the kirk,
And sholde knele to theroode,
And preye for the peple
As the preest techeth,
For pilgrymes and for palmeres,
For al the peple after,
Thanne I crye on my knees
That Crist gyve hem sorwe,
That beren awey my bolle
And my broke shete.

"Awey fro the auter thanne 268«
Turne I myne eighen,
Andbi-holde Eleyne
Hath a newe cote;
I wisshe thanne it were myn,
And al the web after.

" And of mennes lesynge I laughe,
That liketh myn herte ;
And for hir wynnynge I wepe,
And waille the tyme ;
And deme that thei doon ille,
There I do wel werse. 2700

Digitized by

84 THE VISION OF

Who so under-nymeth me hero 2701

I hate hym dedly after ;

I wolde that ech a wight

Were my knave,

For who so hath moore than I,

Than angreth me soore.

And thus I lyve love-lees,

Lik a luther dogge ;

That al my body bolneth,

For bitter of my gaUe.

" Tmyghte noght ete many yeres
As a man oughte, 2712
For envye and yvel wil
Is yvel to dene.
May no sugre ne swete thyng
Aswage my swellyng ?
Ne no diapenidion
Dryve it fro myn herte ?
Ne neither shrifte ne shame,
But who so shrape my mawe ?"

" Yis redily," quod Repentaunce,
And radde hym to the beste,
" Sorwe of synnes 272s
Is savacion of soules."

"I am sory," quod that segge,'
" I am but selde oother,
And that maketh me thus megre,
For I ne may me venge.

"Amonges burgeises have I be
Dwellyng at Londone,
And gart bakbityng be a brocour
To blame mennes ware ;
Whan he solde and I nought,
Thanne was I redy 2734

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 85

To' lye and to loure on my neghebore,
And to lakke his chaffare ;
I wole amende this, if I may,
Thorugh myght of Godalmyghty."

Now awaketh Wrathe, -
With two white eighen ;
And nevelynge with the nose,
And his nekke hangyng.

" I am Wrathe," quod he,
" I was somtyme afrere,
And the coventes gardyner
For to graffen impes ; 2746
On lymitours and listres
Lesynges I ymped,
Til thei beere leves of lowe speche,
Lordes to plese,

And sithen thei blosmede a-brood
In boure to here shriftes ;
And now is fallen therof a fruyt,
That folk han wel levere
Shewen hire shriftes to hem,
' Than shryve hem to hir persons.

" And now persons han perceyved
That freres parte with hem,
Thise possessioners preche
And deprave freres.

" And freres fyndeth hem in de-
As folk bereth witnesse, [faute,
That whan thei preche the peple
In many places aboute,
I Wrathe walke with hem,
And wisse hem of my bokes.
Thus thei speken of my spiritualty,
That either despiseth oother, 2768

Digitized by

86 THE VISION OF

Til thei be bothe beggers 2769
And by my spiritualty libbeu,
Or ellis al riche
And ryden abonte.
I Wrathe reste nevere,
That I ne moste folwe
This wikked folk,
For swich is my grace.

" I have an aunte to nonne,
And an abbesse bothe ;
Hir hadde levere swowe or swelte,
Than suffire any peyne, 2780

" I have be cook in hir kichene,
And the covent served
Manye monthes with hem,
And with monkes bothe.
I was the prioresse potager,
And othere povere ladies,
And maad hem joutes of janglyng,
That dame Johanewas a bastard,
And dame Clarice a knyghtes dough-
Ac a cokewold was hir sire ; [ter,
And dame Pernele a preestes fyle,
Prioresse worth she nevere,
For she hadde child in chirie-tyme,
Al our chapitre it wiste.

" Of wikkede wordes
I Wrathe hire wortes made,
Til < thow lixt' and c thow lixt'
Lopen out at ones,
And either hite oother
Under the cheke :

Hadde thei had knyves, by Crist !
Hir either hadde laid oother. 2802

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 87

"Seint Gregory was a good pope,
And hadde a good forwit,
That no prioresse were preest,
For that he ordeyned ; [firste day,
They hadde thanne ben infames the
Thei kan so yvele hele conseil.

" Among monkes I myghte be,
Ac many tyme I shonye it ;
For there ben manye felle frekes
My feeris to aspie,
Bothe priour and suppriour
And oure pater abbas ; 28 J 4

And if I telle any tales,
Thei taken hem togideres,
And doon me faste frydayes
To breed and to watre, [hous,
And am chalanged in the chapitre
As I a child were,
And baleised on the bare ers,
And no brech bitwene.
For-thi have I no likyng
With tho leodes to wonye.
I ete there unthende fisshe, 2825
And feble ale drynke ;
Ac outher while whan wyn cometh,
Thanne I drynke wyn at eve,
And have a flux of a foul mouth
Wei fyve dayes after.
Al the wikkednesse that I woot
By any of oure bretheren,
I couthe it in oure cloistre,
That al oure covent woot it."

" Now repente thee," quod Eepent-
" And reherce thow nevere [aunce,

88 THE VISION OF

Counseil that thow knowest 2837

By contenaunce ne by right ;

And drynk nat over delicatly,

Ne to depe neither,

That thi wille by cause therof

To wrathe myghte turne.

Esto 8obriu8," he seide,

And assoiled me after,

And bad me wilne to wepe

My wikkednesse to amende.

And thanne cam Coveitise, ?
Kan I hym naght discry ve, 2848
So hungrily and holwe
Sire Hervy hym loked.
He was bitel-browed,
And baber-lipped also,
With two blered eighen
As a blynd hagge ;
And as a letheren purs
Lolled hise chekes,
Wei sidder than his chyn
Thei chyveled for elde ;
And as a bonde-man of "his bacon
His berd was bi-draveled,
With an hood on his heed,
A lousy hat above,
And in a tawny tabard
Of twelf wynter age,
Al so torn and baudy,
And ful of lys crepyng,
But if that a bus couthe
Han lopen the bettre, [welthe,
She sholde noght han walked on that
So was it thred-bare. 2870

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 89

" I have ben coveitous," quod this
" I bi-knowe it here, [caytif,
For som tyme I served
S ymme-atte- Style,
And was his prentice y-plight
His profit to wayte.

"First I lerned to lye,
A leef outher tweyne ;
Wikkedly to weye
Was my firste lesson ;
To Wy and to Wynchestre
I wente to the feyre, 2882
With many manere marchaundise,
As my maister me highte.
Ne hadde the grace of gyle y-go
Amonges my chaffare,
It hadde ben unsold this seven yer,
So me God helpe !

"Thanne drough I me among dra-
My donet to lerne, [piers,
To drawe the User along,
The lenger it semed
Among the riche rayes 289S
I rendred a lesson,
To* broche hem with a pak-nedle,
And playte hem togideres,
And putte hem in a presse,
And pyne hem therinne,
Til ten yerdes or twelve
Hadde tolled out thrittene.

"Mywif was awebbe,
And wollen cloth made ;
She spak to spynnesteres
To spynnen it oute, 2904

Digitized by

90 TEE VISION OF

Ac the pound that she paied by «W5
Peised a quatron moore
Than myn owene auncer,
"Who so weyed truthe.

" I boughte hire barly-malt,
She brew it to selle,
Peny ale and puddyng ale
She poured togideres,
For laborers and for lowe folk
That lay by hymselve.

" The beste ale lay in my bour,
Or in my bed-chambre ; 2916
And who so bummed therof,
Boughte ittherafber,
A gaLpn for a grote,
God woot, no lesse !
And yet it cam in cuppe-mele,
This craft my wif used.
Bose the Begrater
Was hire righte name ;
She hathholdenhukkerye
Al hire lif tyme.

Ac I swere now, so thee ik ! 2927
That synne wol I lete,
And nevere wikkedly weye,
Ne wikke chaffare use ;
But wenden to Walsyngham,
And my wif als,

Andbidde the Boode of Bromhohn
Brynge me out of dette."

" Bepentedestow evere?" quod
Bepentaunce,
" Or restitution madest." [quod he,

" Yis, ones I was y-herberwed,"

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 91

" With an heep of chapmen, 2838
I roos whan thei were a-reste
And riflede hire males."

" That was no restitution," quod
Repentaunce,
" But a robberis thefte ;
Thow haddest be the bettre worthi
Ben hanged therfore,
Than for al that
That thow hast here shewed."

" I wende riflynge were restitu-
tion," quod he, 2947
" For I lerned nevere rede on boke ;
And I lean no Frensshe, in feith,
But of the fertheste ende of North-
folk." [Repentaunce,

" Usedestow evere usurie?" quod
"Inalthilif tyme."

" Nay sothly," he seide,
" Save in my youthe
I lerned among Lumbardes
And Jewes a lesson,
To weye pens with a peis, 2957
And pare the hevyeste,
And lene it for love of the cros,
To legge a wed and lese it.
Swiche dedes I dide write,
If he his day breke,
I have mo manoirs thorugh rerages,
Than thorugh mweretur et commo-

" I have lent lordes [dat.
And ladies my chaffare,
And ben hire brocour after,
And bought it myselve ; 2968

92 THE VISION OF

Eschaunges and chevysaunces 2969
With swich chaffare I dele,
And lene folk that lese wole
A lippe at every noble,
And with Lumbardes lettres
I ladde gold to Eome,
And took it by tale here,
And tolde hem there lasse."

" Lentestow evere lordes,
Eor love of hire mayntenaunce ? "

"Ye, I have lent to lordes,
Loved me nevere after, 2980
And have y-maad many a knyght
Bothe mercer and draper,
That payed nevere for his prentis-
Noght a peire gloves." [hode

" Hastow pite on povere men,
That mote nedes borwe?"

" I have as muche pite* of povere
As pedlere hath of cattes, [men,
That wolde kille hem, if he cacche

hem myghte,
For coveitise of hir skynnes." 2990

" Artow manlich among thi
neghebores
Of thi mete and drynke ?"

"I am holden," quod he, "as
As hound is in kichene, [hende
Amonges my neghebores, namely,
Swiche a name ich have."

"Now God lene thee nevere,"
quod Eepentaunce,
" But thow repente the rather,
The grace on this grounde 2999

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 93

Thi good wel to bi-sette, 3000
Ne thyne heires after thee
Have joie of that thow wynnest,
Ne thyne executours wel bi-sette
The silver that thow hem levest ;
And that was wonne with wrong
With wikked men be despended.
For were I frere of that hous
Ther good feith and charite' is,
I nolde cope us with thi catel,
Ne oure kirk amende,
Ne have a peny to my pitaunce,30ii
So God my soule save !
For the beste book in oure hous,
Theigh brent gold were the leves,
And I wiste witterly
Thow were swich as thow tellest.
ServuB €8 alterius,
Dumfercula jpinguia qtweris;
Pane tuo potius
Fescere, liber eris.

" Thow art an unkynde creature,
I kan thee noght assoille, 3022
Til thow make restitucion
And rekene with hem alle ;
And sithen that Eeson rolle it
In the registre of hevene,
That thow hast maad ech man good,
I may thee noght assoile.
Non dimittitur peccatum, donee re-
stituatur oblatum.

" For alle that han of thi good,
Have God my trouthe !
Ben holden at the heighe doom soas

Digitized by

94 THE VISION OF

To helpe thee to restitue ; [sooth,
And who so leveth noght this be
Loke in the Sauter glose,
In Miserere mei, Deus,
Wher I mene truthe ;
Ecce enim veritotem dUexisti, etc.
Shal nevere werkman in this world
Thryve with that thow wynnest.
Cum sancto sanctus eris ;
Construwe me this on Englisshe."

Thanne weex that sherewe in wan-
And wolde han hanged hym ; [hope,
Ne hadde Repentaunce the rather
Beconforted hym in this manere.

" Have mercy in thi mynde,
And with thi mouth biseche it ;
For Goddes mercy is moore
Than alle hise othere werkes.
And al the wikkednesse in this world
That man myghte werche or thynke,
Nis na-moore to the mercy of God,
Than in the see a gleede.
Ormis iniquitas quantum ad miseri-

cordiam Dei, est quasi scintilla

in medio maris,
"For-thi have mercy in thy mynde,
And marchaundise leve it ;
For thow hast no good ground
To gete thee with a wastel,
But if it were with thi tonge,
Or ellis with thi two hondes.
For the good that thow hast geten
Bigan al with falshede, [with,
And as longe as thow lyvest ther-

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 95

Thow yeldest noght, but borwest.

"And if thow wite nevere to
Ne whom to restitue, [whiche,
Ber it to the bisshope,
And bid hym of his grace
Bi-sette it hymself,
As best is for thi soule ;
For he shal answere for thee
At the heighe dome,
For thee and for many mo
That man shal yeve a rekenyng,
What he lerned yow in Lente, 307»
Leve thow noon oother,
And whathelenteyowof oure Lordes
To lette yow fro synne." [good

Now bi-gynneth Gloton L-
For to go to shrifte,
And karieth hym to kirke-warde
His coupe to shewe ;
And Beton the brewestere
Bad hym good morwe,
And asked at hym with that,
Whider-ward he wolde. 3090

" To holy chirche," quod he,
" For to here masse,
And sithen I wole be shryven,
And synne na-moore." [she

" I have good ale, gossib," quod
" Gloton, woltow assaye ?" [he,

' ' Hastow ought in thi purs ?" quod
" Any bote spices ?" [she,

" I have pepir andpiones," quod
{< And a pound of garleek,
And a ferthyng-worth of fenel-seed

Digitized by

96 THE VISION OF

For fastynge dayes." 3102

Thanne gotli Glotin in,
And grete othes after.
Cesse the souteresse
Sat on the benche ;
Watte the warner,
And his wif bothe ;
Tymme the tynkere,
And tweyne of his prentices ;
Hikke the hakeney-man,
And Hughe the nedlere ;
Clarice of Cokkeslane, 3iis
And the clerk of the chirche ;
Dawe the dykere,
And a dozeyne othere.

Sire Piers of Pridie,
And Pernele of Flaundres ;
A ribibour, a ratoner,
A rakiere of Chepe,
A ropere, a redyng-kyng,
And Eose the dyssheres ;
Godefray of Garlekhithe,
And Gnffyn the Walshe ; 3124
And upholderes an heep,
Erly by the morwe,
Geve Gloton with glad chere
Good ale to hanselle.

Clement the Cobelere
Caste of his cloke,
And at the newe feire
He nempned it to selle,

Hikke the hakeney-man
Hitte his hood after,
And bad Bette the bocher 3186

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMJN. 97

Ben on his syde. 3i8«

Ther were chapmen y-ehose
This chaffare to preise,
That who so hadde the hood
Sholdejian amendes of the cloke.

Two risen up in rape,
And rouned togideres,
And pf eised thise peny-worthes
A-part by hemselve ;
Thei kouthe noght by hir con-
Acorden in truthe, [science
Til Eobyn the ropere 814?
Aroos by the southe,
And nempned hym for a nounpere,
That no debat nere.

Hikke the hostiler
Hadde the cloke,
In covenaunt that Clement
Sholde the cuppe fille,
And have Hikkes hood hostiler,
And holden hym y-served.
And who so repented rathest
Sholde aryse after, 3158
And greten sire Gloton
With a galon ale.

There was laughynge and lour-
And " lat go the cuppe ; " [vnge,
And seten so til even-song,
And songen umwhile,
Til Gloton hadde y-glubbed
A galon and a gille.
Hise guttes bigonne to gothelen
As two gredy sowes ;
He pissed a potel 3169
7

98 THE VISION OF

In a pater-noster while, 3170

And blew his rounde ruwet

At his rugge-bones ende,

That alle that herde that horn

Helde hir noses after,

And wisshed it hadde been wexed

With a wispe of firses. >

He myghte neither steppe ne
Er he his staf hadde ; [stonde,
And thanne gan he to go
Like a gle-mannes bicche,

Som tyme aside, 3181
And som tyme arere,

As who so leith lynes

For to laeche foweles.

And whan he drough to the dore,

Thanne dymmed hise eighen ;

He stumbled on the thresshfold,

And threw to the erthe.

Clement the cobelere

Kaughte hym by the myddel,

For to lifben hym o-lofte ;

And leyde hym on his knowes. 3192

Ac Gloton was a gret cherl,

And a grym in the liftyng,

And koughed up a cawdel

In Clementes lappe ;

Is noon so hungry hound

In Hertford shire

Dorste lape of that levynges,

So un-lovely thei smaughte.
With al the wo of this world,

His wif and his wenche

Baren hym horn to his bed, 3203

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 99

And broughte hym therinne ; 3204

And after al this excesse

He hadde an accidie,

That he sleep Saterday and Sonday,

Til sonne yede to reste.

Thanne waked he of his wynk-
And wiped hise eighen ; [yng,
The firste word that he warpe
Was " where is the bolle?"
His wif gan edwyte hym tho,
How wikkedly he lyvede ;
And Repentaunce right so 3215
Rebuked hym that tyme,
" As thow with wordes and werkes
Hast wroght yvele in thi lyve,

Shryve thee, and be shamed therof,
And shewe it with thi mouthe."
" I Gloton," quod the grom,

" Gilty me yelde, [tonge,

That I have trespased with my

I kan noght telle how ofte ;

Sworen Goddes soule,

And so me God helpe ! 3226

There no nede was,

Nyne hundred tymes.

" And over-seyen me at my soper,

And som tyme at nones,

That I Gloton girte it up

Er I hadde gon a myle,

An y-spilt that myghte be spared

And spended on som hungry ;

Over delicatly on fastyng-dayes

Dronken and eten bothe,

And sat som. tyme so longe there,

Digitized by

100 THE VISION OF

That I sleep and eet at ones. 82»8
For love of tales in tavernes
And for drynke, the moore I dyned ;
And hyed to the mete er noon,
Whan fastyng-days were."

"This shewynge shrift," quod
Bepentaunce,
" Shal be meryt to the."

And thanne gan Gloton greete,
And gret doel to make,
For his hither lif

That he lyved hadde ; 8248
And avowed to faste,
«' For hunger or for thurste,
Shal nevere fyssh on Fryday
Defyen in my wombe,
Til abstinence myn aunte
Have gyve me leeve ;
And yet have I hated hire
Al my lif tyme." [bered,
Thanne cam Sleuthe a) bi-sla-
With two slymy eighen ;
" I moste sitte," seide the segge,
" Or ellis sholde I nappe.
I may noght stonde ne stoupe,
Ne withoute a stool knele ;
Were I brought a-bedde,
But if my tail-ende it made,
Sholde no ryngynge do me ryse
Er I were ripe to dyne."
He bigan Benedicite with a bolk,
And his brest knokked,
And raxed and rored,
And rutte at the laste. 3270

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 101

" What, awake, renk! " quod Re-
pentaunce,
" And rape thee to shryfte."

" If I sholde deye bi this day,
Me list nought to loke ;
I kan noght parfitly my pater-noster,
As the preest it syngeth ;
But I kan rymes of Eobyn Hood,
And Bandolf erl of Chestre ; [Lady
Ac neither of oure Lord ne of oure
The leeste that evere was maked.

" I have maad avowes fourty,
And foryete hem on the morwe ;
I perfournede nevere penaunce
As the preest me highte ;
Ne right sory for my synnes
Yet was I nevere.
And if I bidde any bedes,
But if it be in wrathe,
That I telle with my tonge
Is two myle fro myn herte.
I am ocupied eche day,
Haly-day and oother, 3292
With ydel tales at the ale,
And outher while at chirche ;
Goddes peyne and his passion
Ful selde thenke I on it.

" I visited nevere feble men,
Ne fettred folk in puttes ;
I have levere here an harlotrye,
Or a somer game of souters,
Or lesynge to laughen at
And bi-lye my neghebores,
Than al that evere Marc made, 3803

Digitized by

102 THE VISION OF

Mathew, Johan, and Lucas. S3te

And vigilies and fastyng-dayes,

Alle thise late I passe ;

And ligge a-bedde in Lenten,

And my lemman in myne armes,

Til matyns and masse be do,

And thanne go to the freres.

Come I to Ite, missa est,

I holde me y-served ;

I nam noght shryven som tyme,

But if siknesse it make,

Nought twyes in two yer, 3315

And thanne up gesse I shryve me.

" I have be preest and parson
Passynge thritty wynter,
And yet can I neyther solne ne
Ne seintes lyres rede ; [synge,
But I kan fynden in a feld,
Or in a furlang, an hare,
Bettre than in Beatus vir,
Or in Beati omnes,
Construe oon clause wel
And kenne it to my parisshens.
I kan holde love-dayes,
And here a reves rekenyng ;
Ac in canon nor in decretals
I kan noght rede a lyne.

" If I bigge and borwe aught,
But if it be y-tailed,
I foryete it as yerne ;
And if men me it axe
Sixe sithes or sevene,
I forsake it with othes ;
And thus tene I trewe men 3337

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 103

Ten hundred tymes. 3338

" And my servauntz som tyme
Hir salarie is bi-hynde ;
Euthe it is to here the rekenyng,
Whan we shul rede acountes.
So with wikked wil and wrathe,
My werkmen I paye.

" If any man dooth me a bienfait,
Or helpeth me at nede,
I am unkynde ayeins curteisie,
And kan nought understounden it ;
For I have and have had 3349
Som del haukes maneres,
I am noght lured with love, [thombe.
But ther ligge aught under the

" The kyndenesse that myn even
Kidde me fernyere, • [cristene
Sixty sithes I Sleuthe
Have foryete it siththe.
In speche and in sparynge of speche
Y-spilt many a tyme
Bothe flessh and fissh,
And manye othere vitailles, 3$60
Both bred and ale,
Buttre, melk, and chese,
For-sleuthed in my service
Til it myghte serve no man.

f ' 1 ran aboute in youthe,
And yaf me naught to lerne,
And evere siththe have I be beggere
For my foule sleuthe.
Heu michi ! quia sterilem vitam duxi
juvenilem." [Repentaunce ;

" Eepentedestow noght ?" quod

Digitized by

104 THE VISION OF

And right with that he swowned,

Til VigilaU the veille

Fette water at hise eighen,

And flatte it on his face,

And faste on hym cryde,

And seide, " Ware thee, for Wan-

Wolde thee bi-traye, [hope

* I am sory for my synnes*

Seye to thiselve,

And beet thiself on the brest,

And bidde hym of grace ;

For is ne gilt here so gret 8383

That his goodnesse nys moore."

Thanne sat Sleuthe up, )
And seyned hym swithe,
And made a vow to-fore God
For his foule sleuthe.
" Shal no Sonday be this seven yer,
But siknesse it lette,
That I ne shal do me er day
To the deere chirche ;
And here matyns and masse,
As I a monk weTe, 3394
Shal noon ale after mete
Holde me thennes,
Til I have even-song herd,
I bi-hote to the roode !
And yet wole I yelde ayein,
If I so much have,
Al that I wikkedly wan
Sithen I wit hadde.

"And though my liflode lakke,
Leten I nelle,

That ech man ne shal have his,

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 105

Er I hennes wende ; [menaunt,
And with the residue and the re-
Bi the Rode of Chestre !
I shal seken Truthe erst
Er Ise .Rome."

Eoberd the robbere
On Reddite loked,
And for ther was noght wherof,
He wepte swithe soore ;
Ac yet the synfulle sherewe
Seide to hymselve,
"Crist, that on Calvarie 3417
Upon the cros deidest,
Tho Dysmas my brother
Bi-soughte.yow of grace,
And haddest mercy on that man
For memento sake,
So rewe on this robbere
That reddere ne have,
Ne nevere wene to wynne
With craft that I owe ;
But for thi muchel mercy
Mitigacion I bi-seche, * 3428
Ne dampne me noght at domes-day
For that I dide so ille."

"What bi-fel of this feloun
I kan noght faire shewe ;
Wei I woot he wepte faste
Water with bothe hise eighen,
And knoweliched his gilt
To Crist yet eft soones,
That Pometentia his pik
He sholde polshe newe,
And lepe with hym over lond 3439

Digitized by

106 THE VISION OF

Alhis lif tyme, 3440
For tie hadde leyen by Latro
Luciferis aunte. [rathe,
And thanne hadde Bepentaunce
And redde hem alle to knele ;
" For I shalbi-seche for alle synfulle
Our Saveour of grace,
To amenden us of oure mysdedes,
And do mercy to us alle."

"Now God," quod he, "that of
thi goodnesse
Bi-gonne the world to make', 3450
And of naught madest aught, and
Moost lik to thiselve, [man
And sithen suffredest for to synne,
A siknesse to us alle,
And al for the beste, as I bi-leve,
What evere the book telleth.
0 felix culpa! 0 necessarium pec-
catumAda! etc.
" For thoragh that synne thi sone
Sent was to this erthe,
And bicam man of a maide, 3461
Mankynde to save :
And madest thiself with thi sone
And us synfulle y-liche
Faciamus hominem ad imaginem
nostram. Et alibi. Qui manet
in caritate, in Deo manet, et
Deus in eo.
" And siththe with thi selve sone
In oure secte deidest,
On Grood-Fryday, for mannes sake,
At ful tyme of the daye, 3478

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 107

Ther thiself ne thi sone 8473
No sorwe in deeth feledest,
But in oure 8ecte was the sorwe,
And thi sone it ladde.
Captivam duxit cwptivitatem.

" The sonne for sorwe therof
Lees light of a tyme,
Aboute mydday whan moost light is,
And meel-tyme of seintes,
Feddest with thi fresshe blood
Oure fore-fadres in derknesse.
Populm qui ambulabat in tenebris,
vidit lucem magnam.

" And thorugh the light that lepe
Lucifer was blent. [out of thee
And blewe alle thi blessed
Into the blisse of paradys.

" The thridde day after
Thow yedest in oure sute,
A synftd Marie the seigh,
Er seynte Marie thi dame ;
And al to solace synfulle
Thow suffredest it so were. 8495
Non veni vocare jmtos sed pecca-
tore% ad pcenitentiam.

" And al that Marc hath y-maad,
Mathew, Johan, and Lucas,
Of thyne doughty dedes
Was doon in oure armes.
Verbum caro factum est, et habita-
vit in nobis.

" And by so muche me semeth
The sikerer we mo we
Bidde and bi-seche, 8506

Digitized byGOQQle

108 THE VISION OF

If it be thi wffle, 8307
That art oure fader and oure brother,
Be merciable to us,
And have ruthe on thise ribaudes
That repenten hem here soore,
That everethei wrathed thee in this
In word, thought, or dedes." [world,

Thanne hent Hope an horn
Of Deus, tu conversus vivificabis t
And blew it with Beati quorum
Remissa sunt iniquitates,
That alle seintes in hevene 3518
Songen at ones.

Homines et jumenta salvabis, quern-
admodum multvplicasti miseri-
cordiam tuam.

A thousand of men tho
Thrungen togideres,
Cride upward to Crist,
And to his clene moder,
To have grace to go with hem
Truthe to seke.

Ac there was wight noon so wys
The wey thider kouthe,
But blustreden forth as beestes
Over bankes and hilles ;
Til late was and longe
That thei a leode mette,
Apparailled as a paynym
In pilgrymes wise.
He bar a burdoun y-bounde
With a brood liste,
In a withwynde wise
Y-wounden aboute ; 3540

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 109

A bolle and a bagge 3641

He bar by his syde,

And hundred of ampulles

On his hat seten,

Signes of Synay,

And shelles of Galice,

And many a crouche on his cloke,

Andkeyesof Kome,

And the vernycle bi-fore,

For men sholde knowe

And se bi hise signes

Whom he sought hadde. 3582

This folk frayned hym first,
Fro whennes he come.

" Fram Syny," he seide,
" And fram oure Lordes sepulcre ;
In Bethlem and in Babiloyne,
I have ben in bothe j
In Armonye and Alisaundre,
In manye othere places.
Ye may se by my signes,
That sitten on myn hatte,
That I have walked ful wide ss«s
In weet and in drye,
And sought goode seintes
For my soules helthe."

" Kiowestow aught a corsaint,
That men caUeTruthe?
Koudestow aught wissen us the wey,
Wher that wye dwelleth ?"

" Nay, so me God helpe I"
Seide the gome thanne,
" I seigh nevere palmere,
With pyk ne with scrippe, 3574

Digitized by

110 THE VISION OF

A8ken after hym er 3575
Til now in this place."

" Peter !" quod a plowman,
And putte forth his hed,
" I knowe hym as kyndely
As clerk doth hise bokes ;
Conscience and kynde wit
Kenned me to his place,
And diden me suren hym sikerly
To serven hym for evere,
Bothe to sowe and to sette,
The while I swynke myghte. 3586
I have ben his folwere
Al this fifty wynter,
Bothe y-sowen his seed,
And suwed hise beestes,
Withinne and withouten
Waited his profit.
I dyke and I delve,
I do that Truthe hoteth ;
Somtymel sowe,
And som tyme I thresshe ;
In taillours craft and tynkeris craft,
What Truthe kan devyse,
I weve and I wynde,
And do what Truthe hoteth,
For though I seye it myselfe,
I serve hym to paye ;
I have myn hire wel,
And outher whiles moore.
He is the presteste paiere
That povere men knoweth;
He ne withhalt noon hewe his hire,
That he ne hath it at even ; 3608

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUQBMAN. Ill

He is as lowe as a lomb, 3609
And lovelich of speche ;
And if ye wilneth to wite
Where that he dwelleth,
I shal wisse you witterly
The wey to his place."

" Ye, leve Piers," quod thise pil-
And profred hym huyre, [grimes,
For to wende with hem
To Truthes dwellyng-place.

" Nay, by my soules helpe I" quod
And gan for to swere, [Piers,
" I nolde fange a ferthyng.
For seint Thomas shryne ;
Truthe wolde love me the lasse
A long tyme therafter ;
Ac if yow wilneth to wende wel,
This is the wey thider.

" Ye moten go thorugh Meke-
Both men andwyves, [nesse,
Til ye come into Conscience,
That Crist wite the sothe
That ye loven oure Lord God 3631
Levest of alle thynges,
And thanne youre neghebores next
In none wise apeire,
Other wise than thow woldest
He wroughte to thiselve.

"And so boweth forth by a brook,
Beth-buxom-of-speche,
Til ye fynden a ford,
Youre-fadres-honoureth,
Honorapatrem et matrem, etc.
Wadeth in that water, 3642

112 THE VISION OF

And wasshe yow wel therinne,

And ye shul lepe the hghtloker

Al youre lif tyme ;

And so shaltow se Swere-noght,-

But-if-it-be-for-nede,-

And-nameliche-on-ydel-

The-name-of-God-almyghty.

" Thanne shaltow come by a croft,
But come thow noght therinne ;
That croft hatte Coveite-noght-
Mennes-catel-ne-hire-wyves,-
Ne-noon-of-hire-servauntz- 8«w
That-noyen-hem-myghte ;
Loke ye breke no bowes there,
But if it be youre owene.

" Two stokkes ther stondeth,
Ac stynte ye noght there,
Thei highte Stele-noght and Sle-

Strik forth by bothe, [noght,

And leve hem on thi lift half,

And loke noght therafter,

And hold wel thyn hali-day

Heighe til even. 3666
"Thanne shaltow blenche at a

Bere-no-fals-witnesse, [bergh,

He is frythed in with floryns

And othere fees manye ;

Loke thow plukke no plaunte there,

For peril of thi soule ;

Thanne shul ye see Seye-sooth,-

So-it-be-to-doone,-

In-good-manere,-ellis-noght-

For-no-mannes-biddyng.

" Thanne shaltow come to a court

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 113

As cler as the sonne ; 3677

The moot is of Mercy

The manoir aboute,

And alle the walles ben of Wit,

To holden Wil oute,

And kerneled with Cristendom,

Mankynde to save,

Botrased with Bileef-so,-

Or-thow-beest-noght-saved.

" And alle the houses ben hiled,
Halles and chambres,
With no leed but with love, 3688
And lowe speche as bretheren ;
The brugg is of Bidde-wel,-
The-bet-may-thow-spede ;
Ech piler is of penaunee,
Of preieres to seyntes ;
Of almes-dedes are the hokes
That the gates hangen on.

** Grace hatte the gatewarde,
A good man for sothe ;
His man hatte Amende-yow,
For many men hym knoweth ; 3699
Telleth hym this tokene,
That Truthe wite the sothe ;
c I perfourned the penaunee
That the preest me enjoyned,
And am ful sory for my synnes,
And so I shal evere,
Whan I thynke theron,
Theigh I were a pope.'

" Biddeth Amende-yow mekehym
Til his maister ones,
To wayven up the wiket 3710
8

Digitized by

114 THE VISION OF

That the womman shette, 3711
Tho Adam and Eve
Eten apples un-rosted.
Per Emm cunctis clausa est, et per
Mariam virgwem patefacta est.

"For he hath the keye and the
Though the kyng slepe. [cliket,
And if grace graunte thee
To go in this wise,
Thow shalt see in thiselve
Truthe in thyn herte,
In a cheyne of charite 3722
As thow a child were,
To suffren hym and segge noght
Ayein thi sires wille.

" And be war thanne of Wrathe-
That is a wikjced sherewe ; [thee,
He hath envye to hym
That in thyn herte sitteth,
And poketh forth pride
To preise thiselven,
The boldnesse of thi bienfetes
Maketh thee blynd thanne ; 3733
And thanne, worstow dryven out as
And the dore closed, [dew,
Keyed and cliketted,
To kepe thee withouten ;
HappHy an hundred wynter
Er thow eft entre.
Thus myghtestow lesen his love,
To lete wel by thiselve,
And nevere happily eft entre,
But grace thow have.

" And ther are seven sustren 8744

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 115

That serven Truthe evere, 3745
And arn porters of the posternes
That to the place longeth.

"That oon hatte Abstinence.
And Humilite another ;
Charity and Chaste
Ben hise chief maydenes ;
Pacience and Pees
Muche peple thei helpeth 5
Largenesse the lady,
She let in ful manye,
Heo hath holpe a thousand out
Of the develes punfolde ;
And who is sib to thise sevene,
So me God helpe !
He is wonderly welcome,
And faire underfongen.
And but if ye be sibbe
To some of thise sevene, [Piers,
It is ful hard, by myn heed!" quod
" For any of yow alle
To geten in-going at any gate there,
But grace be the moore." 3767

"Now by Crist I" quod a kutte-
" I have no kyn there." [purs,
" Nor I," quod an ape-ward,
"By aught that T kan knowe."
" Wite God!" quod a wafrestere,
" Wiste I this for sothe,
Sholde I nevere ferther a footj
For no freres prechyng."

" Yis," quod Piers the Plowman,
And poked hem alle to goode,
" Mercy is a maiden there 3778

Digitized by

116 THE VISION.

Hath my ght over alle ; 3779

And she is sib to alle synftdle,

And hire sone also,

And thorugh the help of hem two

Hope thow noon oother,

Thow myght gete grace there,

So thow go bi-tyme."

"Bi seint Poul!" quod a pardoner,
"Peraventure I be noght knowe
there ; [vettes,
I wol go fecche my box with my bre-
And a bnlle with bisshopes lettres."

"By Crist!" quod a commune
womman,
" Thi compaignie wol I folwe ;
Thow shalt seye I am thi suster,
I ne woot where thei bicome." 3793

Digitized by

Pa88U8 Sextw de Fhione, ut
supra.

( HIS were a wikkede wey,
But who so hadde a gyde,

That wolde folwen us ech

Thus this folke hem mened.

Quod Perkyn the Plowman,
" By seint Peter of Borne !
I have an half acre to erie
By the heighe weye ;
Hadde I eryed this half acre,
And sowen it after,
I wolde wende with yow,
And the wey teche." 3805

" This were a long lettyng,"
Quod a lady in scleyre,
" What sholde we wommen
Werche the while ?" [Piers,
" Somme shul sowe the sak,"quod
" For shedyng of the whete ;
And ye, lovely ladies,
With youre longe fyngres,
That ye have silk and sandel
To sowe, whan tyme is ;
Chesibles for chapeleyns,

a foot ; J

Chirches to honoure.*

3817

Digitized by

Google

118 THE VISION OF

« Wyves and widewes, 3818
Wolle and flex spynneth ;
Maketh cloth, I counseille yow,
And kenneth so youre doughtres ;
The nedy and the naked,
Nymeth hede how thei liggeth,
And casteth hem clothes,
For so comaundeth Truthe.
For I shal leven hem liflode,
But if the lond faille,
Flesshe and breed bothe
To riche and to poore, 3839
As long as I lyve,
For the Lordes love of hevene ;
And alle manere of men [beth,
That thorugh mete and drynke lib-
Helpeth hym to werche wightliche,
That wynneth youre foode."

" By Crist!" quod a knyght thoo,
" He kenneth us the beste ;
Ac on the teme, trewely,
Taught was I nevere ; 8840
But kenne me," quod the knyght,
" And by Crist I wole assaye V 9

" By seint Poul!" quod Perkyn,
•* Ye profre yow so fadre,
That I shal swynke and swete,
And sowe for us bothe,
And othere labours do for thi love
Al my lif tyme,
In covenaunt that thow kepe
Holy kirke and myselve
Fro wastours and fro wikked men
That this world destruyeth. S861

Google

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 119

And go hunte harditiche 3852

To hares and to foxes,

To bores and to brokkes

That breken doun myne hegges ;

And so affaite thi faucons

Wilde foweles to kille ;

For swiche cdmeth to my croft,

And croppeth my whete."

Curteisly the knyght thanne
Comsed thise wordes ;
"By my power, Pfers!" quod he,
" I pKghte thee my trouthe, 3863
To fulfille this forwarde,
Though I fighte sholde ;
Als longe as I lyve
I shal thee mayntene."

"Ye, and yet a point," quod
" I preye yow of moore, [Piers,
Loke ye tene no tenaunt,
But Truthe wole assente ;
And though ye mowe amercy hem,
Lat mercy be taxour,
And mekehesse thi niaister, 8874
Maugree Medes chekee.
And though povere men profre yow
Presentes and giftes,
Nyme it noghti an aventure
Ye mowe it noght deserve ;
For thow shalt yelde it ayein
At one yeres tyme,
In a fdl perilous place*
Purgatorie it hatte. , [men,

" And mys-bede noght thi bonde-
The bettre may thow spede ; 3885

Digitized by

120 THE VISION OF

Though he be thyn underlyng here,

Wei may happe in hevene

That he worth worthier set,

And with moore blisse.

Amice, ascende wvperius*

For in charnel at «nirche

Cherles ben yvel to knowe,

Or a knyght from a knave there,

Knowe this in thyn herte.

And that thow be trewe of thi tonge,

And tales that thow hatie,

But if thei ben of wisdom or of wit

Thi werkmen to chaste.

Hold with none harlotes,

Ne here noght hir tales,

And namely at the mete

Swiche men eschuwe ;

For it ben the develes disours,

I do the to understonde."

" I assente, by seint Jame I"
Seide the knyght thanne,
" For to werche by thi wordes
The while my lif dureth. ,, 3908

" And I shal apparaille me," quod
" In pilgrymes wise, [Perkyn,
And wende with yow I wile,
TilwefyndeTruthe;
And caste on my clothes
Y-clouted and hole,
My cokeres and my coffies,
For cold of my nailes ;
And hange myn hoper at myn hals
In stede of a scryppe.
A busshel of bred corn 8919

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 121

Brynge me therinne ; 3920

For I wol sowe it myself,

And sithenes wol I wende

To pilgrymage, as palmeres doon,

Pardon for to have.

And who so helpeth me to erie

And sowen here er I wende,

Shal have leve, by oure Lorde !

To lese here in hervest,

And make hem murie thermyd,

Maugree who so bi-gruccheth it.

And alle kynne crafty-men, 8981

That konne lyven in truthe,

1 shal fynden hem fode,

That feithfulliche libbeth.

" Save Jagge the jogelour,
And Jonette of the stuwes,
And Danyel the dees-pleyere,
And Denote the baude,
And frere the faitour,
And folk of hire ordre,
And Robyn the ribaudour
For hise rusty wordes. 89*3
Truthe tolde me ones,
And bad me telle it after,
Deleantur de libro viventium,
I sholde noght dele with hem,
For holy chirche is hote of hem
No tithe to take ;
Qui cumjustisnon scribantur ;
They ben ascaped good aventure,
God hem amende l"

Dame Werch-whan-tyme-is
Piers wifhighte; " 8953

Digitized by

122 THE VISION OF

His doughter highte Do-right-so,-

Or-thi-dame-shal-thee-bete ;

JJis sone highte Siiffre-thi-sove-

To-haven-hir-wille,- [reyns-

Deme-hem-noght,-for-if-thow-doost,-

Thow-shalt-it-deere-abugge.

Lat God y-worthe with al,

For so his word techeth ;

For now I am old and hoor,

And have of myn owene,

To penaunce and to pilgrimage

I Wol passe withthise othere. 3966

" For-thi I wole er I wende
Do write my biqneste,
In Dei nomine, Amen,
I make it myselve ;
He shal have my sonde,
That best hath deserved it ;
And fro the fend it defende,
For so I bileve,
Til I come to hise aconntes,
As my Credo me telleth,
To have a relees and a remission,
On that rental I leve.

" The kirke shal have my caroyne,
And kepe my bones ;
For of my corn and catel
She craved the tithe ;
I paide it fill prestry,
For peril of my soule.
For-thi is he holden I hope
To have me in his masse,
And mengen in his memorie
Amonges alle cristene. 3967

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 123

" My wif shal have of that I wan
With truthe, and na-moore,
And dele among my doughtres,
And my deere children ;
For though I deye to day,
My dettes are quyte ;
I bar horn that I borwed,
Er I to bedde yede. [remenaunt,

" And with the residue and the
By the Bode of Lukes !
I wol worshipe therwith
Truthe by my lyve, 89»
And ben his pilgrym atte plow,
For povere mennes sake.
My plow-foot shall be my pikstaf,
And picche a-two the rotes,
And helpe my cultour to kerve
And dense the rurwes."

Now is Perkyn and hise pilgrimes
To the plow faren ;
To erie his half acre
Holpen hym manye ;
Dikeres and delveres *ow
Digged up the balkes.
Therwith was Perkyn a-payed,
And preised hem faste.

Othere werkmen ther were
That wroghten ful yerne ;
Ech man in his manere
Made hymself to doone,
And somme to plese Perkyn
Piked up the wedes.

At heigh prime Piers
Leet the plowgh stonde, 4021

Digitized by

124 THE VISION OV

To over-sen hemhymself, 4022
And who so bestwroghte
He sholde be hired therafter,
Whan hervest tyme come.

And thanne seten somme,
And songen atte nale,
And holpen ere this half acre
With " How, trolly lolly."

" Now, by the peril of my soule I"
Al in pure tene, [quod Piers,

" But ye arise the rather
And rape yow to werche,- 4083
Shal no greyn that groweth
Glade yow at nede,
And though ye deye for doel,
The devel have that reccheth."

Tho were faitours a-fered,
And feyned hem blynde ;
Somme leide hir legges a-liry,
As swiche losels konneth,
And made hir mone to Piers,
And preide hym of grace ;
" For we have no lymes to laboure
Lord, y-graced be the ; [with,
Ac we preie for yow, Piers,
And for youre plowgh bothe,
That God of his grace
Youre greyn multiplie,
And yelde yow for youre almesse
That ye gyve us here ;
For we may noght swynke ne swete,
Swich siknesse us eyleth/'

"Ifitbe sooth," quod Piers, "that
I shal it soone aspie. [ye seyn,

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 125

Ye ben wastours, I woot wel, 4066

And Truthe woot the sothe ;

And I am his olde hyne,

And highte hym to warne,

Whiche thei were in this world

Hise werkmen apeired.

Ye wasten that men wynnen

With travaille and with tene ;

Ac Truthe shal teche yow

His teme to dryve,

Or ye shul eten barley breed,

And of the broke drynke. 4067

" But if he be blynd or . broke-
Or bolted with irens, Pegged,
He shal ete whete breed,
And drynke with myselve,
Til God of his goodnesse
Amendement hym sende.
Ac ye myghte trayaille, as Truthe
And take mete and hyre, [wolde,
To kepe kyen in the feld,
The corn fro the beestes,
Diken or delven, 4078
Or dyngen upon sheves,
Or helpe make morter,
Or bere muk a-feld.

" In lecherie and in losengerie
Ye lyven, and in sleuthe ;
And al is thorugh sufiraunce,
'That vengeaunce yow ne taketh.

"Ac ancres and heremites
That eten noght but at nones,
And na-moore er the morwe,
Myn almesse shul thei have, 4089

Digitized by

186 TEE FUSION OF

And of catel to kepe hem with, 4090
That han cloistres and churches.

" Ac Bobert Benaboute
Shal noghthave of myne,
Ne postles, but thei preche konne
And have power of the bisshope ;
Thei shul have payn and potage,
And make hemself at ese,
For it is an unreasonable religion
That hath right noght of certein."

And thanne gan Wastour to
wrathen hym, 4ioo
And wolde have y-foughte ;
And to Piers the Plowman
He profrede his glove ;
A bretoner, a braggere,
A-bosted Piers als,
And bad hym go pissen with his
u For-pynede sherewe \ . [plowgh,
Wiltow or neltow,
We wol have oure wille
Of thi flour and of thi flesshe,
Fecche whanne us liketh ;
And maken us murye thermyde,
Maugree thi ehekes."

Thanne Piers the Plowman
Meyned hym to the knyghte,
To kepen hym as covenaunt was
Fro cursede sherewes, . [kynnes
And fro thise wastours wolves-
That maketh the world deere ;
** For tho wasten and wynnen noght,
And that ilke while [peple,
Worth nevere plentee among the

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 127

The while my plowgh liggeth." 4123
Curteisly the knyght thanne,

As his kynde wolde,

Warnede Wastour,

And wissed hym bettre,

" Or thow shalt abiggeby the lawe,

By the ordre that I bere !"

" I was noght wont to wexche,"
quod Wastour,

" And now wol I noght bigynne

And leet light of the lawe,

And lasse of the knyghte ; 4133

And sette Piers at a pese,

And his plowgh bothe ;

And manaced Piers and his men,

If thei mette eft soone. [quod Piers,
" Now, by the peril of my soule !"

" I shal apeire yow alle .

And houped after Hunger,

That herde hym at the iirste,

" A-wreke me of thise wastours,"
quod he,

" That this world shendeth." 4i#

Hunger in haste thoo
Hente Wastour by the wombe,
And wrong him so by the wombe,
That bothe hise eighen watrede.

He buffeted the bretoner
Aboutethe chekes,
That he loked lik a lanterne
Al his lif after.
He bette hem so bothe,
He brast ner hire guttes ;
Ne hadde Piers with a pese loof 4154

Digitized by

128 . THE VISION OF

Preyed Hunger to cesse, *™
They hadde be dolven,
Ne deme thow noon oother.

" Suffre hem lyve," he seide,
" And lat hem ete with hogges,
Or ellis benes or bren
Y-baken togideres,
Or ellis melk and mene ale
Thus preied Piers for hem.

Paitours for fere herof
Plowen into bernes,
And flapten on with flailes * 166
Pro morwe til even ;
That Hunger was noght so hardy
On hem for to loke,
Por a potful of peses
That Piers hadde y-maked.

An heep of heremytes
Henten hem spades,
And kitten hir copes,
And courtepies hem maked,
And wente as werkmen
With spades and with shoveles «77
And dolven and dikeden,
To dryve awey hunger.

Blynde and bed-reden
Were bootned a thousande,
That seten to begge silver,
Soone were thei heeled ;
Por that was bake for bayarde,
Was boote for ^nany hungry ;
And many a beggere for benes
Buxum was to swynke ;
And eche a povere man wel a-paied

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 129

To have pesen for his hyre, 4189

And what Piers preide hem to do,

As prest as a sperhauk ;

And therof was Piers proud,

And putte hem to werke,

And yaf hem mete as he myghte

And mesurable hyre. [aforthe

Thanne had Piers pits',
And preide Hunger to wende
Hoom unto his owene yerd,
And holden hym there;
" For I am wel a-wroke 4200
Of wastours, thorugh thy myghte.
Ac I preie thee, erthow passe,"
Quod Piers to Hunger,
" Of beggeris and of bidderis
What best be to doone.
For I woot wel, be thow went,
Thei wol werche ful ille ;
For meschief it maketh
Thei be so meke nouthe,
And for defaute of hire foode
This folk is at my wille. 4211
"Thei are my blody bretheren,"
quod Piers,
" For God boughte us alle.
Truthe taughte me ones
To loven hem echone ;
And to helpen hem of alle thynff
Ay as hem nedeth.
And now wolde I wite of thee
What were the beste ;
And how I myghte a-maistren hem,
And make hem to werche." mi
9

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130 THE VISION OF

" Here now," quod Hunger 4222

" And hoold it for a wisdom ;

Bolde beggeris and bigge

That mowe Mr breed bi-swynke,

With houndes breed and horse breed

Hoold up hir hertes ;

A-bate hem with benes,

For bollynge of hir wombes ;

And if the gomes grucche,

Bidde hem go swynke,

And he shal soupe swetter

Whan he it hath deserved. 4233

" And if thow fynde any freke
That fortune hath apeired,

Or any manere false men,
Fonde thow swiche to knowe ;

Conforte hym with thi catel,
For Cristes love of hevene ;
Love hem and leve hem,
So lawe of God techeth,
AUer alterim onera portare.

" And alle manere of men
That thow myght aspie, 4244
That nedy ben and noughty,
Help hem with thi goodes ;
Love hem andlakke hem noght,
Lat God take the vengeaunce ;
Theigh thei doon yvele,
Lat God y-worthe.
Mihi vindictam, et ego retribuam.

" And if thow wilt be gracious to
Do as the gospel techeth, [God,
And bi-love thee amonges lewed
So shaltow lacche grace ; [men,

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 131

Facite vos amicos de Mammone ini-
quitatis." [Piers,

" I wolde noght greve God," quod
" For al the good on grounde.
Mighte I synne-lees do as thow
Seide Piers thanne. [seist P"

"Ye, I bi-hote thee,"quodHunger,
"jOr ellis the Bible lieth ;
Go to Genesis the geaunt,
The engendrour of us alle :
In sudore and swynk
Thow shalt thi mete tilie, mi
And laboure for thi liflode,
And so oure Lorde highte.
And Sapience seith the same,
I seigh it in the Bible,
Piger prce f rigor e
No feeld nolde tilie,
And therfore he shal begge and bidde,
And no man bete his hunger.

" Mathew with mannes face
Mouthed thise wordes,
That servus nequam hadde a mnam,
And for he wolde noght chaffare,
He hadde maugree of his maister
Evere moore after,
And by-nam hym his mnam,
For he ne wolde werche,
And yaf that mnam to hym
That ten mnames hadde ;
And with that he seide,
That holy chirche it herde,
He that hath shal have
And helpe there it nedeth ; 4289

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132 THE VISION OF

And he that noght hath shal noght
And no man hym helpe, [have,
And that he weneth wel to have
I wole it hym bi-reve.
Kynde wit wolde
That ech a wight wroghte,
Or in dikynge or in delvynge,
Or travaifiynge in preieres ;
Contemplatif lif or actif lif
Crist wolde thei wroghte.
The Sauter seith in the.Psalme
Of Beati omnes, 4S01
The freke that fedeth hymself
With his feithful labour,
He is blessed by the book
In body and in soule."
Labores manuum tuarum, etc.

" Yet I preie yow," quod Piers,
" Par chariti, and ye konne
Any leef of leche-craft,
Lere it me, my deere ;
For some of my servauntz,
And myself bothe, 4312
Of al a wike werche noght,
So oure wombe aketh."

" I woot wel," quod Hunger,
" What siknesse yow eyleth ;
Ye han manged over muche,
And that maketh yow grone.
Ac I hote thee," quod Hunger,
" As thow thyn hele wilnest,
That thow drynke no day
Er thow dyne som what.
Ete noght, I hote thee,

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 3:53

Er hunger thee take, 4824

And sende thee of his sauce

To savore with thi lippes ;

And keep som til soper-tyme,

And sitte noght to longe,

And rys up er appetit

Have eten his fille.

Lat noght sire Surfet

Sitten at thi borde.

Leve hym noght, for he is lecherous,

And likerous of tunge,

And after many maner metes 4385

His mawe is a-fyngred.

" And if thow diete thee thus,
I dar legge myne eris,
That PMsik shal hise furred hodes
For his fode selle,
And his cloke of Calabre,
With alle the knappes of golde,
And be fayn, by my feith !
His phisik to lete,
And lerne to laboure with lond,
For liflode is swete. 4846
For murthereris are manye leches,
Lord hem amende I [drynkes,
They do men deye thorugh hir
Er destynee it wolde."
" By seint Poul !" quod Piers,
" Thise arn profitable wordes 1
Wend now, Hunger, whan thow
That wel be thow evere ! [wolt,
For this is a lovely lesson,
Lord it thee for-yelde !"

" Bi-hote God 1" quod Hunger,

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134 TEE VISION OF

" Hennes ne wole I wende, 4858
Til I have dyned bi this day,
And y-dronke bothe."

" I have no peny," quod Piers,
" Pulettes to bugge,
Ne neither gees ne grys,
But two grene cheses,
A fewe cruddes and creme,
And an haver cake,
And two loves of benes and bran
Y-bake for my fauntes ;
And yet I seye, by my soule ! 4369
I have no salt bacon,
Ne no cokeney, by Crist !
Coloppes for to maken.

" Ac I have percile and porettes,
And manye cole plauntes,
And ek a cow and a calf,
And a cart mare
To drawe a-feld my donge,
The while the droghte lasteth ;
And by this liflode we mote lyve
Til Lammesse tyme. 4380
And by that, I hope to have
Hervest in my crofte,
And thanne may I dighte thi dyner,
As me deere liketh."

Al the povere peple tho
Pescoddes fetten,
Benes and baken apples
Thei broghte in hir lappes,
Chibolles and chervelles,
And ripe chiries manye,
And profrede Piers this present 4391

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN, 135

To plese with Hunger. 4892

Al Hunger eet in haste,
And axed after moore.
Thanne povere folk, for fere,
Fedden Hunger yerne,
With grene poret and pesen,
To poisone hym thei thoghte.
By that it neghed neer hervest,
And newe corn cam to chepyng ;
Thanne was folk fayn,
And fedde Hunger with the beste,
With goode ale, as Gloton taghte,
And garte Hunger go slepe.

And tho wolde Wastour noght
But wandren aboute, [werche,
Ne no beggere ete breed
That benes inne were,
But of coket and cler-matyn,
Or ellis of clene whete ;
Ne noon halfpeny ale
In none wise drynke, [neste
But of the beste and of the brun-
That in burghe is to selle. 4AU

Laborers that have no land
To lyve on but hire handes,
Deyned noght to dyne a day
Nyght-olde wortes ;
May no peny ale hem paye,
Ne no pece of bacone,
But if it be fresshe flessh outher
Fryed outher y-bake, [fisshe,
And that chaud and plus chaud,
For chillynge of hir mawe ;
And but if he be heighliche hyred ;

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136 THE VISION OF

Ellis wole lie chide, 4426
And that he was werkman wroght
Waille the tyme,
Ayeins Catons counseil
Comseth he to jangle.
Paupertatis onus patienter ferre me-
mento.

He greveth hym ageyn God,
And gruccheth ageyn Beson,
And thanne corseth he the kyng,
And al his counseil after,
Swiche lawes to loke 4437
Laborers to greve.
Ac whiles Hunger was hir maister,
Ther wolde noon of hem chide,
Ne stryven ayeins his statut,
So sterneliche he loked.

Ac I warne yow, werkmen,
Wynneth whil ye mowe,
Tor Hunger hiderward
Hasteth hym faste.
He shal a- wake with water
Wastours to chaste ;
Er fyve be fulfilled,
Swich famyn shal a-ryse,
Thorugh nodes and thorugh foule
Fruytes shul faille, [wedres
And so seide Saturne,
And sente yow to warne.

Whan ye se the sonne a-mys,
And two monkes heddes,
And a mayde have the maistrie,
And multiplie by eighte,
Thanne shal deeth with-drawe, 4459

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 137

And derthe be justice, 4460

And Dawe the dykere

Deye for hunger ;

But God of his goodnesse

Graunte us a trewe. 446+

rrr

rr .
r

Digitized by

Passus Septimus de Fisicme, ut
supra.

REUTHEherde telle her
And to Piers he sente,
To maken his teme
And tilien the erthe,
And pnrchaced hym a pardone
A poena et a culpa.
For hym and for hise heirea,
For evere moore after,
And bad hym holde hym at home,
And erien hise leyes.
And alle that holpen hym to erye,
To sette or to sowe,
Or any oother mestier 4477
That myghte Piers availle,
Pardon with Piers Plowman
Truthe hath y-graunted.

Kynges and knyghtes,
That kepen holy chirche,
And rightfully in remes
Eulen the peple,
Han pardon thorugh purgatorie
To passen ful lightly,
With patriarkes and prophetes
In paradis to be felawe. 4488

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 139

Bysshopes y-blessed, 4489
If thei ben as thei sholde,
Legistres of bothe lawes,
The lewed therwith to preche,
And in as muche as thei mowe
Amenden alle syntulle,
Am peres with the Apostles,
This pardon Piers sheweth,
And at the day of dome
At the heighe deys sitte.

Marchauntz in the margyne
Hadde manye yeres, 4500
Ac noon a poena et a culpa
The pope nolde hem graunte,
For thei holde noght hir hali-dayes
As holy chirche techeth,
And for thei swere by hir soule,
And so God moste hem helpe,
Ayein clene Conscience,
Hir catel to selle.

Ac under his secret seel
Truthe sente hem a lettre,
That thei sholde buggen boldely
That hem best liked,
And sithenes selle it ayein,
Aud save the wynnyng,
And amende meson-dieux thermyd,
And mys-eise folk helpe,
And wikkede weyes
Wightly amende,
And do boote to brugges
That to-broke were,
Marien maydenes,
Or maken hem nonnes, 4522

140 THE VISION OF

Povere peple and prisons 452s

Fynden hem hir foode,

And sette scolers to scole,

Or to som otliere craftes,

Eeleve religion,

And renten hem bettre ;

" And I shal sende yow myselve

Seint Michel myn archangel,

That no devel shal yow dere,

Ne fere yow in yonre deying,

And witen yow fro wanhope,

If ye wol thus werche, 4534

And sende youre soules in saufte'

To my seintes in joye."

Thanne were marchauntz murie,
Manye wepten for joye,
And preiseden Piers the Plowman,
That purchaced this bulle.

Men of lawe leest pardon hadde,
That pleteden for Mede ;
For the Sauter saveth hem noght,
Swiche as take giftes,
And nameliche of innocentz 4545
That noon yvel ne konneth.
Super innocentem munera mm ac-
cipies.

Pledours sholde peynen hem
To plede for swiche and helpe ;
Princes and prelates
Sholde paie for hire travaille.
A regihus et princi/pibm erit merces
eorum.

Ac many a justice and jurour
Wolde for Johan do moore 4556

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 141

Than pro Dei pietate,

Leve thow noon oother.

Ac he that spendeth his speche,
And speketh for the povere
That is innocent and nedy,
And no man apeireth,
Conforteth hym in that caas
Withouten coveitise of giffces,
And sheweth lawe for ouxe Lordes
As he it hath y-lerned, [love,
Shal no devel at his deeth day
Deren hym a myte, 4668
That he ne worth saaf and his soule,
The Sauter bereth witnesse :
Domine, quis habitabit in taberm-
culo tuo ?
Ac to bugge water, ne wynd,
Ne wit, ne* fir the ferthe,
Thise foure the fader of hevene
Made, to this foold in commune.
Thise ben Truthes tresores
Trewe folk to helpe,
That nevere shul wexe ne wanye,
Withouten God hymselve.

Whan thei drawen on to deye,
And indulgences wolde have,
Hir pardon is ful petit
At hir partyng hennes,
That any mede of mene men
For hir motyng taketh.
Te legistres and lawieres,
Holdeth this for truthe,
That if that I lye,

Digitized by

Google

142 THE VISION OF

For he bad me make yow this, 45»i
And this proverbe me tolde,
Quodcunque vultw ut facimt vobiz
homines, facite eis.

Alle libbynge laborers
That lyven with hir hondes,
That treweliche taken,
And treweliche wynnen,
And lyven in love and in lawe,
For hir lowe hertes
Haveth the same absolucion
That sent was to Piers. 4602

Beggeres ne bidderes
Ne beth noght in the bulle,
But if the suggestion be sooth
That shapeth hem to begge.
For he that beggeth or bit,
But if he have nede,
He is fals with the feend,
And defraudeth the nedy ;
And also he bi-gileth the gyvere,
Ageynes his wille ;
For if he wiste he were noght nedy,
He wolde gyve that another
That were moore nedy than he,
So the nedieste sholde be holpe.
Caton kenneth me thus,
And the clerc of stories ;
Cui des videto,
Is Catons techyng.

And in the stories he techeth
To bistowe thyn almesse.
Sit elemosina tua in manu tua,
donee studes cui des, 4624

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 143

Ac Gregory was a good man, 4625
And bad us gyven alle
That asketh for his love
That us al leneth.

Non eligas cui miser earis y ne forte
pratereas ilium qui meretur
accipere. Quia incertum est
pro quo Deo magis placeas.
For wite ye nevere who is worthi,
Ac God woot who hath nede ;
In hym that taketh is the trecherie,
K any treson walke. 4636
For he that yeveth, yeldeth,
And yarketh hym to reste ;
And he that biddeth, borweth,
And bryngeth hymself in dette.
For beggeres borwen evere mo,
And hir borgh is God almyghty,
To yelden hem that yeveth hem,
And yet usure moore.
Quare non dedisti pecuniam meant
ad mensam, ut ego veniam cum
usuris exigere ? 4647
For-thi biddeth noght, ye beg-
But if ye have gret nede ; [geres,
For who so hath to buggen hym
The book bereth witnesse, [breed,
He hath y-nough that hath breed

y-nough,
Though he have noght ellis.
Satis dives est, qui non indiget pane.

Lat usage be youre solas,
Of seintes lyves redyng,
The book banneth beggerie, 4667

144 THE VISION OF

And blameth hem in thismanere : 4658
Junior fui 9 etjam senui, et non vidi
justum derelictum, nec semen
ejus, etc.
For ye lyve in no love,
Ne no lawe holde ;
Manye of yow ne wedde noght
The womman that ye with deele,
But as wilde bestes with * wehee !'
Worthen uppe and werchen,
And bryngen forth barnes,
That bastardes men calleth ; 4669
Or the bak or som boon
He breketh in his youthe,
And siththe goon faiten with youre
For evere moore after. [fauntes
Ther is moore mys-shapen peple
Amonges thise beggeres,
Than of alle manere men
That on this moolde walketh.
And thei that lyve thus hir lif,
Mowe lothe the tyme
That evere thei were men wroght,
Whan thei shal hennes fare.
Ac olde men and hore,
That help-lees ben of strengthe.
And wommen with childe
That werche ne mowe,
Blynde and bed-reden,
And broken hire membres,
That taken thise myschiefs meke-
As mesels and othere, [liche,
Han as pleyn pardon
As the plowman hymselve. 469i

.Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 145

For love of hir lowe hertes, 4692
Oure Lord hath hem graunted
Hir penaunce and hir purgatorie
Here on this erthe.

"Piers," quod a preest thoo,
" Thi pardon moste I rede ;
For I wol construe ech clause,
And kenneit thee on Englisshe."

And Piers at his preiere
The pardon unfoldeth ;
And I bi-hynde hem bothe
Biheld al the bulle, 4703
And in two lynes it lay,
And noght a leef more,
And was writen right thus,
In witnesse of Truthe :
M qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam

eternam.
Qui vero mala, in ignem eternum.

" Peter," quod the preest thoo,
" I kan no pardon fynde,
But do wel and have wel,
And God shal have thi soule, 4714
And do yvel and have yvel,
Hope thow noon oother,
But after thi deeth-day
The devel shal have thi soule."
And Piers for pure tene
Pulled it a-tweyne,
And seide Si ambulavero in medio

umbra mortis, non timebo mala,

quoniam tu mecum es.
" I shal cessen of my sowyng,"

quod Piers, 4725
10

Digitized by

146 THE VISION OF

" And swynke noght so harde, 4726
Ne aboute my bely joye
So bisy be na-moore ;
Of preieres and of penaunce
My plough shal ben herafter,
And wepen whan I sholde slepe,
Though whete-breed me faille.

" The prophete his payn eet
In penaunce and in sorwe,
By that the Sauter seith,
So dide othere manye ;
That loveth God lefiy, 4737
His liflode is fill esy.
Fuerunt mihi lacrima mece panes
die ac node.

" And but if Luc lye,
He lereth us by foweles,
We sholde noght be to bisy
Aboute the worses blisse ;
Ne 8oliciti sitis,
He seith in the Gospel,
And sheweth us by ensamples
Us selve to wisse. 4748
The foweles in the feld,
Who fynt hem mete at wynter ?
Have thei no gerner to go to,
But God fynt hem alle."

"What!" quod the preest to
" Peter ! as me thynketh, [Perky n,
Thow art lettred a litel : —
Who lerned thee on boke ?"

" Abstynence the abbesse," quod
" Myn a.b.c. me taughte ; [Piers,
And Conscience cam afterward,
And kenned me muche moore." 4760

igitized by G00gk

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 147

" Were thow a preest," quod he,
" Thou myghtest preche where thou
As divinour in divinitd, [sholdest,
With Dixit irmpiem to thi teme."

" Lewed lorel !" quod Piers,
" Litel lokestow on the Bible ;
On Salomons sawes
Selden thow biholdest :
Ejice derisores et jurgia cum eis, ne
crescant, etc"

The preest and Perkyn
Opposeden either oother. 4772
And I thorugh hir wordes a-wook,
And waited aboute,
And seigh the sonne in the south
Sitte that tyme,
Mete-lees and monei-lees
On Malverne hulles,
Musynge on this metels,
And my wey ich yede.

MANY tyme this metels
Hath maked me to studie
Of that I seigh slepynge,
If it so be myghte,
And also for Piers the Plowman
Ful pencif in herte,
And which a pardon Piers hadde
Al the peple to conforte,
And how the preest inpugned it
With two propre wordes.
Ac I have no savour in songewarie,
Por Iseitoftefaille;
Caton and canonistres
Counseillen us to leve 4794

Digitized by

148 THE VISION OF

To sette sadnesse in songewarie, 4795
For sompnia ne cures.

Ac for the book Bible
Bereth witnesse
How Daniel divined
The dreem of a kyng,
That was Nabugodonosor
Nempned of clerkes.

Daniel seide, " Sire kyng,
Thi dremels bitokneth
That unkouthe knyghtes shul come
Thi kyngdom to cleyme ; 4&06
Amonges lower lordes
Thi lond shal be departed."
And as Daniel divined,
In dede it fel after ;
The kyng lees his lordshipe,
And lower men it hadde.

And Joseph mette merveillously
How the moone and the sonne
And the ellevene sterres
Hailsed hym alle.

Thanne Jacob jugged 4817
Josephes swevene.
" Beau fitz," quod his fader,
" For defaute we shullen,
I myself and my sones,
Seche thee for nede."

It bifel as his fader seide,
In Pharaoes tyme,
That Joseph was justice
Egipte to loke ;
It bifel as his fader tolde,
Hise frendes there hym soughte,
And al this maketh me 4S-:9

Digitized by Google

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 149

On this metels to thynke. 4830

And how the preest preved

No pardon to Do-wel,

And demed that Do-wel

Indulgences passed,

Biennals and triennals,

And bisshopes lettres ;

And how Do-wel at the day of dome

Is digneliche underfongen,

And passeth al the pardon

Of seint Petres cherche.

Now hath the pope power 4841

Pardon to graunte the peple,

Withouten any penaunce

To passen into hevene ;

This is onre bileve,

As lettred men us techeth :

Quodcumque ligaveris stiper ter-
rain, erit ligatum et in ccelis,
etc.

And so I leve leelly,
Lordes forbode ellis !
That pardon and penaunce 4852
And preieres doon save
Soules that have synned
Seven sithes dedly ;
Ac to truste to thise triennals,
Trewely me thynketh,
Is noght so siker for the soule,
Certes, as is Do-wel.

For-thi I rede yow, renkes,*
That riche ben on this erthe,
Upon trust of youre tresor
Triennals to have,
Be ye never the bolder 4864

Digitized by

150 THE VISION.

To breake the .x. hestes ;

4865

And namely ye maistres,
Meires and jugges,
That have the welthe of this world
And for wise men ben holden,
To purchace yow pardon
And the popes buUes.
At the dredful dome,
Whan dede simile rise,
And comen alle to-fore Crist
Acountes to yelde,
How thow laddest thi lif here, 4876
And hise lawes keptest,
And how thow didest day by day,
The doom wole reherce.
A poke fill of pardon there,
Ne provincials lettres,
Theigh ye be founde in the fraternite
Of alle the foure ordres,
And have indulgences double-fold,
But if Do-wel yow helpe,
I sette youre patentes and youre

For-thi I counseille alle Cristene
To crie God mercy,
And Marie his moder
Be oure meene bitwene,
That God gyve us grace here,
Er we go hennes,
Swiche werkes to werche
While we ben here,
That after oure deeth-day
Do-wel reherce
At the day of dome,

At one pies hele.

[pardon

We dide as he highte.

4899

)OgIe

Pas8U8 Octavus de Visione, et
Primus de Do-wel.

HUS y-robed in russet 4900
I romed aboute
Al a somer seson
For to seke Do-wel ;
And frayned ful ofte
Of folk that I mette,
If any wight wiste
Wher Do-wel was at inne ;
And what man he myghte be
Of many man I asked.

Was nevere wight, as I wente,
That me wisse kouthe 49 n

Where this leode lenged,
Lasse ne moore ; *
Til it bi-fel on a Friday
Two freres I mette,
Maistres of the menours,
Men of grete witte.
I hailsed hem hendely,
As I hadde y-lerned,
And preide hem par charite,
Er thei passed ferther,
If thei knewe any contree
Or costes, as thei wente, 4923

Digitized by

152 THE VISION OF

" Where that Do-wel dwelleth 4924

Dooth me to witene."

For thei be men of this moolde

That moost wide walken,

And knowen contrees and courtes,

And many kynnes places,

Bothe princes paleises

And povere mennes cotes,

And Do-wel and Do-yvele

Wher thei dwelle bothe.

"Amonges us," quod the Me-
" That man is dwellynge, [nours,
And evere hath, as I hope,
And evere shal herafter."

" Contra" quod I as a clerc,
And comsed to disputen,
And seide hem soothly,
" Septies in die cadit jwtus."

Sevene sithes, seith the book,
Synneth the rightfulle ;
And who so synneth," I seide,
" Dooth yvele, as me thynketh ;
And Do-wel and Do-yvele 4946
Mowe noght dwelle togideres.
Ergo he nys noght alwey
/ Amonges yow freres ;
He is outher while ellis where
To wisse the peple."

" I shal seye thee, my sone,"
Seide the frere thanne,
" How seven sithes the sadde man
On a day synneth ;
By a forbisne," quod the frere,
" I shal thee faire shewe. 4957

Digitized by Google

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 153

Lat brynge a man in a boot 4958

Amydde the brode watre,

The wynd and the water

And the boot waggyng

Maketh the man many a tyme

To falle and to stonde;

For stonde he never so stif,

He stumbleth if he meve,

Ac yet is he saaf and sound,

And so hym bihoveth.

For if he ne arise the rather,

And raughte to the steere, 4969

The wynd wolde with the water

The boot over throwe ;

And thanne were his lif lost,

Through lachesse of hymselve.

"And thus it falleth, " quod the frere,
" By folk here on erthe ;
The water is likned to the world
That wanyeth and wexeth;
The goodes of this grounde arn lik
To the grete wawes,
That as wyndes and wedres 4980
Walketh aboute;
The boot is likned to oure body
That brotel is of kynde,
That thorugh the fend and the flesshe
And the frele worlde
Synneth the sadde man
A day seven sithes.

" Ac dedly synne doth he noght,
For Do-wel hym kepeth ;
And that is charite* the champion,
Chief help ayein synne ; 4991

154 THE VISION OF

For he strengtheth men to stonde,4W2
And steereth mannes soule,
And though the body bowe
As boot dooth in the watre,
Ay is thi soule saaf,
But if thow wole thiselve
Do a deedly synne,
And drenche so thi soule,
God wole suffire wel thi sleuthe,
If thiself liketh.
For he yaf thee a yeres-gyve,

And that is wit and free-wil,
To every wight a porcion,
To fleynge foweles,
To fisshes and to beestes ;
Ae man hath moost therof,
And moost is to blame,
But if he werche wel therwith,
As Do-wel hymteacheth." [quod I,
" I have no kynde knowyng, ,,
" To conceyven alle youre wordes ;
Ac if I may lyve and loke,
I shal go lerne bettre."

" Ibikenne thee Crist," quod he,
" That on cros deyde !"
And I seide, " The same
Save yow fro myschaunce,
And gyve yow grace on this grounde
Goode men to worthe !"

AND thus I wente wide wher
Walkyng myn one,

To

wel thiselve,

5003

By a wilde wildernesse,

5024

Digitized by

Google

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 155

And by a wodes side ; 5025

Blisse of the briddes

Broughte me a-slepe,

And under a lynde upon a launde

Lened I a stounde,

To lythe the layes

Tho lovely foweles made.

Murthe of hire mouthes

Made me ther to sleple ;

The marveillouseste metels

Mette me thanne

That ever dremed wight sose .

In world, as I wene.

A muche man, as me thoughte,
And lik to myselve,
Cam and called me
By my kynde name.

" What artow ?" quod I tho,
" That thow my name knowest."

" That thou woost wel," quod he,
" And no wight bettre."

"Woot I what thow art?"
" Thought," seide he thanne ; 5047
" I have sued thee this seven yeer,
Seye thow me no rather."

" Artow Thought," quod I thoo,
" Thow koudest me wisse,
Where that Do-wel dwelleth,
And do me that to knowe."

" Do-wel and Do-bet,
And Do-best the thridde," quod he,
" Arn thre fair vertues,
And ben noght fer to fynde.
Whe so is trewe of his tunge, 5058

Digitized by

156 THE VISION OF

And of his two handes, 5059
And thorugh his labour, or thorugh
His Mode wynneth, [his land,
And is trusty of his tailende,
Taketh but his owene,
And his noght dronklewe ne dedey-
Do-wel hym folweth. [nous,

" Do-bet dooth right thus :
Ac he dooth muche moore ;
He is as lowe as a lomb,
And lovelich of speche,
And helpeth alle men 5070
After that hem nedeth.
The bagges and the bigirdles,
He hath to-broke hem alle,
That the erl Avarous
Heeld and hise heires.
And thus with Mammonaes moneie
He hath maad hym frendes,
And is ronne to religion,
And hath rendred the Bible,
And precheth to the peple
Seint Poules wordes : 5081
Libenter mffertis insipientes, cum
sitis ipsi swpientes.

"And suffreth the unwise
With yow for to libbe ;
And with glad wille dooth hem good,
For so God yow hoteth.

" Do-best is above bothe,
And bereth a bisshopes crosse,
Is hoked on that oon ende
To halie men fro helle ;
A pik is on that potente, 5092

Digitized by Google

1

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 157

To putte a-down the wikked 6098

That waiten any wikkednesse

Do-wel to tene.

And Do-wel and Do-bet

Amonges hem han ordeyned,

To crowne oon to be kyng

To rulen hem bothe ;

That if Do-wel or Do-bet

Dide ayein Do-best,

Thanne shal the kyng come

And casten hem in irens,

And but if Do-best bede for hem,

Thei to be ther for evere.

" Thus Do-wel and Do-bet,
And Do-be9t the thridde,
Crouned oon to the kyng
To kepen hem alle,
And to rule the reme
By hire thre wittes,
And noon oother wise
But as thei thre assented."

I thonked Thoght tho,
That he me thus taughte. 5115
" Ac yet savoreth me noght thi sey-
I coveite to lerne [ing ;

How Do-wel, Do*bet, and Do-best
Doon among the peple."

"But Wit konne wisse thee," quod
" Where tho thre dwelle, [Thoght,
Ellis woot I noon that kan
That now is alyve."

Thoght and I thus
Thre daies we yeden,
Disputyng upon Do-wel 5i2«

158 THE VISION.

Day after oother ; 5127

And ere we were war,

With Wit gonne we mete.

He was long and lene,

Lik to noon other;

Was no pride on his apparaille,

Ne poverte neither ;

Sad of his semblaunt,

And of softe chere.

I dorste meve no matere

To maken hym to jangle,

But as I bad Thoght thoo 5138

Be mene bitwene,

And pute forth som purpos

To preven hise wittes,

What was Do-wel fro Do-bet,

And Do-best from hem bothe.

Thanne Thoght in that tyme
Seide thise wordes :
" Where Do-wel, Do-bet,
And Do-best ben in londe,
Here is Wil wolde wite,
If Wit koude teche hym ;
And wheither he be man or womman
This man fayn wolde aspie,
And werchen as thei thre wolde,
Thus is his entente." 5153

Digitized by

Pasms Nonus de Vwone, ut supra,
et Primus de Bo-bet.

fff|ll IEE Do-wel dweUeth,"

In a castel that Kynde made
Of four kynnes thynges ;
Of erthe and of eyr it is maad,
Medled togideres,
With wynd and with water
Witterly enjoyned.
Kynde hath dosed therinne
Craftily withalle
A lemman that he loveth
Lik to hymselve ; 5165
Anima she hatte.
Ac envye hir hateth,
A proud prikere of Fraunce,
Princeps hujus mundi,
And wolde wynne hire awey
With wiles, and he myghte.

" Ac Kynde knoweth this wel,
And kepeth hire the bettre,
And dooth hire with sire Do-wel,
Is due of thise marches.
" Do-bet is hire damyselle,

[quod Wit, 5154
Xoght a day hennes,

Sire Do-weles doughter,

5177

Digitized by

Google

160 THE VISION OF

To serven this lady leelly 5178
Bothe late and rathe.

" Do-best is above bothe,
A bisshopes peere ;
That he bit moot be do,
He ruleth hem alle.
Anima, that lady,
Is lad by his leryng.
Ac the constable of that castel,
That kepeth al the wacche,
Is a wis knyght withalle,
Sire Inwit he hatte, 5189
And hathe fyve faire sones
Bi his firste wyve ;
Sire Se-wel, and Sey-wel,
And Here-wel the hende,
Sire Werch-wel-with-thyn-hand,
'A wight man of strengthe,
And sire Godefray Go-wel ;
Grete lordes, for sothe.
Thise fyve ben set
To kepe this lady Anima,
Til Kynde come or sende 5200
To saven hire for evere." [quod I,

"What kynnes thyng is Kynde?"
" Kanstow me telle ?" [tour

" Kynde," quod Wit, "is a crea-
Of alle kynnes thynges,
Fader and formour
Of al that evere was maked ;
And that is the grete God
That gynnyng hadde nevere,
Lord of lif and of light,
Of lisse and of peyne. 5211

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 161

Aungeles and aUe thyng 5212

Am at his wille;

Ac man is hym moost lik

Of marc and of shafte ;

For thorugh the word that he spat

Woxen forth beestes.

Dixit et facta sunt.

"And made man likkest
To hymself one,
And Eve of his ryb-bon,
Withouten any mene,
For he was synguler hymself; 5228
And seidefaciamus,
As who seith moore moot herto
Than my word oone,
My myght moot helpe
Forth with my speche.
Eight as a lord sholde make lettres,
And hym lakked parchemyn,
Though he koude write never so wel,
If he hadde no penne,
The lettre, for al the lordshipe,
I leve were nevere y-maked. 5234

" And so it semeth by hym,
As the Bible telleth,
There he seide Dixit et facta sunt,
He moste werche with his word,
And his wit shewe.
And in this manere was man maad,
Thorugh myght of God almighty,
With his word and werkmanshipe,
And with lif to laste.
And thus God gaf hym a goost,
Thorugh the godhede of hevene, 52*3
11

162 THE VISION OF

And of his grete grace 52 *6

Graunted hym blisse,

And that is lif that ay shal laste

To al his lynage after.

And that is the castel that Kynde

Caro it hatte, [made,

And is as muche to mene

As man with a soule ;

And that he wroghte with werk,

And with word bothe,

Thorgh myght of the mageste

Man was y-maked. 5257

" Inwit and alle wittes
Closed ben therinne,
For love of the lady Anima,
That lif is y-nempned ;
Over al in mannes body
He walketh and wandreth.

And in the herte is hir hoom

And hir mooste reste.
" Ac Inwit is in the heed,

And to the herte he loketh ;

What Anima is leef or both, "»^8

He lat hire at his wille ;

For after the grace of God,

The gretteste is Inwit.

" Muche wo worth that man

That mys-ruleth his Inwit ;

And that ben glotons glubberes,

Hir God is hire wombe.

Quorum dew venter est.
" For thei serven Sathan,

Hir soules shal he have.

That lyven synful lif here, 5279

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 163

Hir soule is lich the devil ; 6280
And alle that lyven good lif
Are lik to God almyghty,
Qui manet in caritate, in Deomanet,
etc.

"Alias ! that drynke shal for-do
That God deere boughte,
And dooth God forsaken hem
That he shoop to his liknesse.
Amen dico vobis, nescio vos. M alibi :
M dimui eos secundum desideria
eorum. 5291

" Fools that fanten Inwit,
I fynde that holy chirche
Sholde fynden hem that hem fauted,
And fader-lese children,
And widewes that han noght wher-
To wynnen hem hir foode, [with
Madde men, and maydenes
That help-lese were,
Alle thise lakken Inwit,
And loore bihoveth.

" Of this matere I myghte 5302
Make a long tale,
And fynde fele witnesses
Among the foure doctours ;
And that I lye noght of that I lere
Luc bereth witnesse. [thee,

" God-fadres and god-modres,
That seen hire god-children
At mys-eise and at myschief,
And mowe hem amende,
Shul have penaunce in purgatorie
But thei hem helpe. 5713

Digitized by

164 THE VISION OF

For moore bilongeth to the litel barn,
Er he the lawe knowe,
Than nempnynge of a name,
And he never the wiser.
Sholde no cristene creature
Cryen at the yate,
Ne faille payn ne potage,
And prelates dide as thei sholden.
A Jew wolde noght se a Jew
Gojanglyng for defaute,
For alle the mebles on this moolde,
And he amende it myghte. 6325
" Alias ! that a cristene creature
Shal be unkynde til another ;
Syn Jewes, that we jugge
Judas felawes,

Eyther of hem helpeth oother

Of that that hem nedeth.

Whi nel we cristene

Of Cristes good be as kynde

As Jewes, that ben oure lores-men ?

Shame to us alle !

The commune for hir unkyndenesse,

I drede me, shul abye.

" Bisshopes shul ,be blamed

For beggeres sake.

He is wors than Judas,

That gyveth a japer silver,

And biddeth the beggere go,

For his broke clothes.

Proditor est pralatm cum Juda,
qui patrimonium Christi mimu
distribuit. Et alibi: Perni-
ciosu8 dispensator est, qui res

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 165

pauperum Christi mutiliter

consumit.
" He dooth noght wel that dooth

thus, i
Ne drat noght God almyghty ;
He loveth noght Salomons sawes,
That sapience taughte.
Initium sapientia, timor Domini.

" That dredeth God, he dooth wel ;
That dredeth him for love,
And noght for drede of vengeaunce,
Dooth therfore the bettre.

" Hedooth best that with-draweth
By daye and by nyghte, [hym
To spille any speche
Or any space of tyme.
Qui offendit in uno > w omnibus est

reus.

" Lesynge of tyme,
Truthe woot the sothe,
Is moost y-hated upon erthe
Of hem that ben in hevene ;
And siththe to spille speche, «3«9
That spicerie is of grace,
And Goddes gle-man,
And a game of hevene.
Wolde nevere the feithful fader
This fithele were un-tempred,
Ne his gle-man a gedelyng,
A goere to tavernes.

" To alle trewe tidy men
That travaille desiren,
Oure Lord loveth hem and lent
Loude outher stille 5380

Digitized by

166 THE VISION OF

Grace to go to hem, 538 1

And of-gon Mr liflode.
Inquirente8 autem Dominum non
minuenter omni bono,

" Trewe wedded libbynge folk
In this world is Do-wel,
For thei mote werche and wynne.
And the world sustene.
For of hir kynde thei come
That confessours ben nempned,
Kynges and knyghtes,
Kaysers and cherles, 5391:
Maidenes and mar tires,
Out of 0 man come.
The wif was maad the weye
For to helpe werche ;
And thus was wedlok y-wroght
With a mene persone,
First, by the fadres wille,
And the frendes conseille ;
And sithenes by assent of hemself.
As thei two myghte acorde.
And thus was wedlok y-wroght,
And God hymself it made
In erthe and in hevene,
Hymself bereth witnesse.

" Ac fals folk feyth-lees,
Theves and lyeres,
Wastours and wrecches,
Out of wedlok, I trowe,
Conceyved ben in yvel tyme,
As Caym was on Eve ;
Of swiche synfulle sherewes
The Sauter maketh mynde : 5414

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 167

Concepit in dolore t eb peperit ini-
quitatem, etc.

" Andalle that come of that Caym,
Come to yvel ende.
And God sente to Seem,
And seide by an aungel,
' Thyn issue in thyn issue
I wol that thei be wedded,
And noght thi kynde with Caymes
Y- coupled nor y-spoused.'

" Yet some, ayein the sonde
Of oure Saveour of hevene, 5426
Caymes kynde and his kynde
Coupled togideres,
Til God wrathed for hir werkes,
And swich a word seide,
' That I makede man
It me for-thynketh.'
Pcenitet mefecme hominem.

" And com to Noe anon,
And bad hym noght lette :
* Swithe go shape a ship
Of shides and of bordes ; 5437
Thyself and thi sones,
And sithen youre wyves,
Busketh yow to that boot,
And bideth ye therinne,
Til fourty daies be fulfild,
That the flood have y-wasshen
Clene awey the corsed blood
That Caym hath y-maked.

" * Beestes that now ben
Shul banne the tyme
That evere that cursed Caym 5448

Digitized by

168 THE VISION OF

Coom on this erthe ; 5449
Alle shul deye for hise dedes,
By dales and by hulles,
And the foweles that fleen
Forth with othere beestes,
Excepte oonliche
Of ech kynde a couple,
That in thi shyngled ship
Shul ben y-saved.'
Here a-boughte the barn
The bel-sires giltes,
And alle for Mr fadres 5460
Thei ferden the werse ;
The Gospel is her ayein,
In o degre', I fynde :
FUiu8 rum portabit iniquitatem pa-
tris 9 et pater non portabit ini-
quitatem jilii, etc.

" Ac I fynde if the fader
Be fals and a sherewe,
That som del the sone
Shal have the sires tacches.

" Impe on an ellere, 5471
And if thyn appul be swete,
Muchel merveille me thynketh ;
And moore of a sherewe
That bryngeth forth any barn,
But if he be the same,
And have a savour after the sire ;
Selde sestow oother.
Nunquam colligitur de spinis uva,
nec de tribulis ficus.

" And thus thorugh cursed Caym
Cam care upon erthe ; 5482

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 169

And al for thei wroghte wedlokes 5483

Ayein Goddes wille.

For-thi have thei maugre of hir ma-

That marie so hir children, [riages

For some, as I se now,

Sooth for to telle,

For coveitise of catel

Un-kyndely ben wedded ;

As careful concepcion

Cometh of swiche manages,

As bi-fel of the folk

That I bifore of tolde, 5494

Therfore goode sholde wedde goode,

Though thei no good hadde ;

' I am via et Veritas? seith Grist,

£ I may avaunce yow alle/

" It is an uncomly couple,
By Crist ! as me thynketh,
To yeven a yong wenche
To an old feble,
Or wedden any wodewe
For welthe of hir goodes,
That nevere shal barn bere 5505
But if it be in hir armes.
Many a peire, sithen the pestilence,
Han plight hem togideres,
The fruyt that brynge forth
Arn foule wordes,
In jelousie joye-lees,
And janglynge on bedde,
Have thei no children but cheeste,
And clappyng hem bitwene.
And though thei do hem to Dun-
But if the devel helpe, [mowe,

Digitized by

170 THE VISION OF

To folwen after the flicche, 5517
Fecche thei it nevere ;
And but thei bothe be for-swore,
That bacon thei tyne.

" For-thi I eounseille alle cristeue
Coveite noght be wedded
For coveitise of catel,
Ne of kyn-rede riche ;
Ac maidenes and maydenes
Macche yow togideres,
Wodewes and wideweres
Wercheth the same ; 5528
For no londes, but for love,
Loke ye be wedded,
And thanne gete ye the grace of God .
And good y-nongh to lyve with.

" And every maner secnler
That may noght continue,
Wisely goo wedde,
And ware hym fro synne ;
For lecherie in likynge
Is lyme-yerd of helle.
Whiles thow art yong, 5539
And thi wepene kene,
Wreke thee with wyvyng,
If thow wolt ben excused.
Bum sis virfortis,
Ne des tua robora scortis ;
Scribitur in portis,
Meretrix est janm mortis.

u Whan ye han wyved, beth war
And wercheth in tyme ;
Noght as Adam and Eve,
Whan Caym was engendred. 5550

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 171

For in un-tyme, trewely, 5551

Bitwene man and womman,

Ne sholde no bourde or bedde be ;

But if thei bctthe were clene

Bothe of lif and of soule,

And in perfit charite,

That ilke derne dede do

No man ne sholde. ,

And if thei leden thus hir lif,

It liketh God almyghty ;

For he made wedlok first,

And hymself it seide : 5562

Bonum est ut unmquisque uxorem
mam kabeat, propter fornica-
tionem. [geten
" And thei that other gates ben

For gedelynges arn holden,

As fals folk fondlynges,

Faitours and lieres,

Ungracious to gete good

Or love of the peple,

Wandren and wasten

What thei cacche mowe, 557 ?

Ayeins Do-wel thei doon yvel,

And the devel serve ;

And after hir deeth day

Shul dwelle with the same,

But God gyve hem grace here

Hemself to amende.
" Do-wel my frend is,

To doon as lawe techeth ;

To love thi frend and thi foo,

Leve me, that is Do-bet ;

To gyven and to yemen 558 1

Digitized by

172 THE VISION.

Bothe yonge and olde, 5585
To helen and to helpen,
Is Do-best of alle.

" And Do-wel is to drede God,
And Do-bet to suifre,
And so cometh Do-best of bothe,
And bryngeth adoun the mody,
And that is wikked wille
That many a werk shendeth,
And dryveth awey Do-wel
Thorugh dedliche synnes." 5595

Digitized by Google

Fassus Decimm de Fisione, et
Secundus de Do~wel.

|HANNE hadde Wit a wif,
! Was hote dame Studie,

5 BE That lene was of lere,
tMj£ft And of liche bothe :
Slie was wonderly wroth
That Wit me thu3 taughte >
And al starynge dame Studie
Sterneliche loked.

"Wei artow wis," quod she to Wit,
" Any wisdomes to telle
To flatereres or to fooles,
That frenetike ben of wittes." 5607
And blamed hym and banned hym :
And bad hym be stille,
With swiche wise wordes
To wissen any sottes.
And seide, " Noli mittere, man.
Margery perles
Among hogges, that han
Hawes at wOle ;
Thei doon but dry vele theron,
Draf were hem levere
Than al the precious perree

That in paradis wexeth.

5619

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Google

174 THE VISION OF

I seye it by swiche," quod she, 5620

" That sheweth by hir werkes,

That hem were levere lond

And lordshipe on erthe,

Or richesse, or rentes,

And reste at hir wille,

Than alle the sooth sawes

That Salomon seide evere.
" Wisdom and wit now

Is noght worth a kerse,

But if it be carded with coveitise,

As clotheres kemben hir wolle. 503i

Who so can contreve deceites

And conspire wronges,

And lede forth a love-day

To lette with truthe,

He that swiche craffces can

To counseil is cleped.

Thei lede lordes with lesynges,

And bi-lieth Truthe.
" Job the gentile

In his gestes witnesseth,

That wikked men thei welden 5642

The welthe of this worlde ;

And that thei ben lordes of ech a lond

That out of lawe libbeth.

Quare impii vimnt, bene est omni-
bus qui pravaricantur et inique
agunt.

" The Sauter seith the same
By swiche that doon ille :
Ecce if si peccatores abundantes in
scbcuIo obtinuerunt divitias.

"Lo! seith holy lettrure, 5653

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 175

Whiche beth thise sherewes ? 5654
Tln'llce that God gyveth moost,
Leest good thei deleth ;
And moost un-kynde to the corn-
That moost catel weldeth. [mune
Qti€B perfedsti destruxerunt, jmtus
autem, etc.

" Harlotes for hir harlotrie
May have of hir goodes,
And japeris and jogelours,
And jangleris of gestes.

" Ac he that hath holy writ 5665
Ay in his mouthe,
And kan telle of Tobye,
And of twelve apostles,
Or prechen of the penaunce
That Pilat wikkedly wroghte
To Jhesu the gentile,
That Jewes to-drowe ;
Litel is he loved
That swich a lesson sheweth,
Or daunted or drawe forth,
I do it on God hymselve. 5676

"But thoo that feynen hem foolis,
And with faityng libbeth,
Ayein the lawe of oure Lord,
Aid lyen on hemselve,
Spitten and spuen,
And speke foule wordes,
Drynken and drevelen,
And do men fer to gape,
Likne men, and lye on hem,
That leneth hem no giftes ;
Thei konne na-moore mynstralcie

Digitized by

176 THE VISION OF

Ne musik men to glade, 568*
Than Munde the millere
OiMulta fecit Bern.
Ne were hir vile harlotrye,
Have God my trouthe !
Sholde nevere kyng ne knyght,
Ne chanon of seint Poules,
Gyve hem to hir yeres-gyve
The gifte of a grote.

" Ac murthe and mynstralcie
Amonges men is nouthe
Lecherie, losengerye, 56N
And losels tales,

Glotonye and grete othes,

This murthe thei lovyeth.
" Ac if thei carpen of Crist,

Thise clerkes and thise lewed

At mete in hir murthe,

Whan mynstrals beth stille,

Thanne telleth thei of the Trinite

A tale outher tweye,

And bryngen forth a balled reson,

And taken Bernard to witnesse,

And putten forth a presumpcion

To preve the sothe.

Thus thei dryvele at hir deys

The Deitee to knowe,

And gnawen God with the gorge,

Whanne hir guttes fullen.
" Ac the carefulle may crie

And carpen at the yate,

Bothe a-fyngred and a-furst,

And for chele quake ;

Is ther noon to nyme hym neer,

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 177

His anoy to amende, 5722
But hunten hym as an hound,
And hoten hym go thennes.
Iitel loveth he that Lord
That lent hym al that bKsse,
That thus parteth with the povere
A percell whan hym nedeth.
Ne were mercy in meene men
Moore than in riche,
Mendinauntz mete-lees
Myghte go to bedde.
God is muche m the gorge 6733
Of thise grete maistres,
Ac amonges meene men
His mercy and hise werkes.
And so seith the Sauter,
I have seighen it ofte :
Ecce audivimus earn in Effrata, in-
venimus earn in campis silva.

" Clerkes and othere kynnes men
Carpen of God faste,
And have hym muche in the mouth;
Ac meene men in herte. 5744

" Freres and faitours
Han founde swiche questions,
To plese with proude men,
Syn the pestilence tyme ;
And prechen at seint Poules
For pure envye of clerkes ;
That folk is noght fermed in the feith,
Ne free of hire goodes,
Ne sory for hire synnes ;
So is pride woxen,
In religion and in al the reme, 6750
12

j

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178 THE VISION OF

Amonges riche and povere, 5756

That preieres have no power

The pestilence to lette.

And yet the wrecches of this world

Is noon y-war by oother ;

Ne for drede of the deeth

With-drawe noght hir pride ;

Ne beth plentevouse to the povere,

As pure charite* wolde ;

But in gaynesse and in glotonye

For-glutten hir good hemselve,

And breketh noght to the beggere

As the Book techeth :

Frange esurienti panem tuum, etc.

And the moore he wynneth and welt

Welthes and richesse,

And lordeth in londes,

The lasse good he deleth.

" Tobye telleth yow noght so,
Taketh hede, ye riche,
How the book Bible
Of hym bereth witnesse.
Si tibi sit copia, abundanter tribve.
Si autem exiguum, Mud impertiri
dude libenter.

"Who so hath muche, spende
So seith Tobye ; [manliche,
And who so litel weldeth,
Eule hym therafter.
For we have no lettre of oure lif,
How longe it shal dure,
Swiche lessons lordes sholde
Lovye to here,

And how he myghte moost meynee

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 179

Manliche fynde.

5790

" Nought to fare as a fithelere or
For to seke festes [a frere,

Homliche at othere mennes nouses,
And hatien hir owene.
Elenge is the halle
Ech day in the wike,
Ther the lord ne the lady
Iaketh noght to sitte. »
Now hath ech riche a rule
To eten by hymselve
In a pryvee parlour, 5801
For povere mennes sake,
Or in a chambre with a chymenee,
And leve the chief halle
That was maad for meles,
Men to eten inne,
And al to spare to spende

" I have y-herd heighe men,
Etynge at the table,
Carpen, as thei clerkes were,
Of Crist, and of hise myghtes ; 5812
And leyden fautes upon the fader
That formede us alle,
And carpen ayein clerkes
Crabbede wordes,
Why wolde oure Saveour suffre
Swich a worm in his blisse,
That bigiled the womman,
And the man after,
Thorugh whiche wiles and wordes
Thei wente to helle,
And al hir seed for hir synne 5833

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Google

180 THE VISION OF

The same deeth suffirede. 5824

" Here lyeth youre lore,
Thise lordes gynneth dispute,
Of that the clerkes us kenneth
Of Crist by the Gospel :
Filim non portabit iniquitatem pa-
tri8, etc.

" Why sholde we that now ben,
For the werkes of Adam,
Eoten and to-rende ?
Eeson wolde it nevere.
Unmquisque portabit onus suum, etc.

" Swiche motyves thei mene,
Thise maistres in hir glorie,
And maken men in mys-bileve
That muse muche on hire wordes,
Ymaginatif heraf terwarde
Shal answere to hir purpos.

" Austyn to swiche argueres
Telleth this teme :
Non plus 8apere quam oportet.

" Wilneth nevere to wite
Why that God wolde 5846
Suffire Sathan
His seed to bigile ;
Ac bileveth lefly
In the loore of holy chirche,
And preie hym of pardon
And penaunce in thi lyve, "
And for his muche mercy
To amende yow here.
For alle that wilneth to wite
The weyes of God almyghty,
I wolde his eighe were in his ers,

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 181

And his fynger after, 5858

That evere wilneth to wite

Why that God wolde

Suffire Sathan

His seed to bigile,

Or Judas to the Jewes

Jhesu bitraye.

"Al was as thow woldest,

Lord, y-worshiped be the !

And al worth as thow wolt,

What so we dispute.

" And tho that useth thise hany-
To blende mennes wittes, [Ions
What is Do-wel firo Do-bet,
That deef mote he worthe,
Siththe he wilneth to wite
Whiche thei ben bothe,
But if he lyve in the lif
That longeth to Do-wel.
For I dar ben his bolde borgh,
That do-bet wole he nevere,
Theigh Do-best drawe on hym
Day after oother." 5880

And whan that Wit was y-war
What dame Studie tolde,
He bicom so confus,
He kouthe noght loke,
And as doumb as deeth,
And drough hym arere ;
And for no carpyng I kouthe after,
Ne knelyng to the grounde,
I myghte gete no greyn
Of his grete wittes.
But al laughynge he louted, 5891

Digitized by

182 THE VISION OF

And loked upon Studie 6892
In signe that I sholde
Bi-sechen hire of grace.

And whan I was war of his wille,
To his wif gan I loute,
And seide, " Mercy, madame,
Youre man shal I worthe
As longe as I lyve,
Bothe late and rathe,
For to werche youre wille
The while my lif dureth,
With that ye kenne me kyndely
To knowe what is Do-wel."

" For thi mekenesse, man." quod
" And for thi mylde speche, [she,
I shal kenne thee to my cosyn
That Clergie is hoten.
He hath wedded a wif
Withinne thise sixe monthes,
Is sib to seven artz,
Scripture is hir name.
They two, as I hope,
After my techyng, 5914
Shullen wissen thee to Do-wel,
I dar it undertake."

Thanne was I al so fayn,
As fowel of fair morwe,
And gladder than the gle-man
That gold hath to giffce ;
And asked hire the heighe wey
Where that Clergie dwelte,
" And tel me som tokene," quod I,
" For tyme is that I wende."

" Aske the heighe wey," quod she,

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 183

" Hennes to Suffre- 5926

Both-wele-and-wo,

If that thow wolt lerae,

And ryd forth by Bichesse,

Ac Test thow noght therinne ;

For if thow couplest thee therwith,

To Clergie comestow nevere.

" And also the likerouse launde
That Lecherie hatte,
Leve it on thi left half
A large myle or moore,
Til thow come to a court, 6937
Kepe-wel-thi-tunge-
Fro-lesynges-and-lither-speche-
And-likerouse-drynkes.

" Thanne shaltow se Sobretee,
And Sympletee-of-speche,
That ech wight be in wille
His wit thee to shewe ;
And thus shaltow come to Clergie,
That kan manye thynges.

" Seye hym this signe,
I sette hym to scole, 6948
And that I grete wel his wif,
For I wroot hire manye bokes, '
And sette hire to Sapience,
And to the Sauter glose ;
Logyk I lerned hire,
And manye othere lawes,
And alle musons in musik
I made hire to knowe.

" Plato the poete
I putte first to boke,
Aristotle and othere mo 5959

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184 THE VISION OF

To argue I taughte. 5960

" Grammer for girles
I garte first to write,
And bette hem with a baleys,
But if thei wolde lerne,

" Of alle kynne craftes
I contreved tooles,
Of carpentrie, of kerveres,
And compased masons,
And lerne<J hem level and lyne,
Though I loke dymme.

" Ac Theologie hath tened me
Ten score tymes;
The moore I muse therinne
The mystier it seemeth,
And the depper I devyne
The derker me it thynketh.
It is no science, for sothe,
For to sotile inne ;
A ful lethi thyng it were,
If that love nere ;
Ac for it leteth best bi-love,
I love it the bettre. 5982
For there that love is ledere,
Ther lakked nevere grace.
Loke thow love lelly,
If thee liketh Do-wel ;
For Do-bet and Do-best
Ben of Loves kynne.

" In oother science it seith,
I seigh it in Caton : [amiem,
Qui simulat verbis, nec corde est fidm
Tu quoque fac simile, sic ars delu-
ditur arte. 5993

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 135

" Who so gloseth as gylours doon,
Go me to the same ;
And so shaltow fals folk
And feith-lees bigile.
This is Catons kennyng
To clerkes that he lereth.

" Ac Theologie techeth noght so,
Who so taketh yeme ;
He kenneth us the contrarie,
Ayein Catons wordes.
For he biddeth us be as bretheren,
And bidde for our enemys. 6004
And loven hem that lyen on us,
And lene hem whan hem nedeth,
And do good ayein y vel,
God hymself it hoteth.
Bum tempus habemus, operemur
bonum ad omnes, maxime autem
ad domestkos jidei.
Poul preched the peple
That perfitnesse lovede,
To do good for Goddes love,
And gyven men that asked, 6015
And namely to swiche
As suwen oure bileve,
And alle that lakketh us, or lyeth,
Oure Lord techeth us to lovye.
And noght to greven hem that grev-
God hymself forbad it, [eth us,
Mihi trindictam, et ego retribuam.

" For-thi loke thow lovye,
As longe as thow durest ;
For is no science under sonne
So sovereyn for the soule. 6026

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186 THE VISION OF

" Ac astronomye is an hard thyng,
And yvel for to knowe ;
Geometrie and geomesie,
So gynful of speche,
Who so thynketh werchewith thotwo
Thryveth fill late,
For sorcerie is the sovereyn book
That to tho sciences bilongeth.

" Yet ar ther fibicches in forceres
Of fele mennes makyng,
Experimentz of alkenamye
The peple to deceyve ; 6038
If thow thynke to do-wel,
Deel therwith nevere.

" Alle thise sciences I myself
Sotilede and ordeynede,
And founded hemformest
Folk to deceyve.
Tel Clergie this tokene,
And Scripture after,
To counseille thee kyndely
To knowe what is Do-wel."

I seide, " Graunt mercy, madame, ' '
And mekely hir grette ;
And wente wightly awey
Withoute moore lettyng,
And til I com to Clergie
I koude nevere stynte ;
And grette the goode man,
As Studie me taughte,
And afterwardes the wif,
And worshiped hem bothe,
And tolde hem the tokenes
That me taught were. 6060

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 187

Was nevere gome upon this ground,

Sith God made the worlde,

Fairer under-fongen,

Ne frendlier at ese,

Than myself, soothly,

Soone so he wiste

Than I was of Wittes hous,

And with his wif, dame Studie.

I seide to hem soothly
That sent was I thider,
Do-wel and Do-bet
And Do-best to lerne. [Clergie,

"It is a commune lyf," quod
" On holy chirche to bileve,
With alle the articles of the feith
That falleth to be knowe ;
And that is to bileve lelly,
Bothe lered and lewed,
On the grete God
That gynnyng hadde nevere,
And on the soothfast Sone
That saved mankynde
Fro the dedly deeth 6088
And devel's power,
Thorughthe help of the Holy Goost,
The which goost is of bothe,
Thre persones, ac noght
In plurel nombre ;
For al is but oon God,
And ech is God hymselve.
Deu8 pater 9 Bern jilius, Letts spirit™

mnctm.
God the fader, God the sone,
God holy goost of bothe, eo»4

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188 THE VISION OF

To sadde us in bileve.
Who was his auctour ?
Alle the foure euvangelistes,
And Crist cleped hymself so,
The euvangelistes bereth witnesse.

"Alle the clerkes under Crist
Ne koude this assoille ; . 6ioc

But thus it bi-longeth to bileve
To lewed that willen do-wel.
For hadde nevere freke fyn wit
The feith to dispute,
Ne man hadde no merite,
Myghte it ben y-preved.
Fides non habet meritum, ubi hu-
mana ratio prcebet experimen-
turn.

" Thanne is Do-bet to suflxe^
For the soules helthe,
Al that the book bit
Bi holi cherches techyng ;
And that is, man, bi thy myght,
For mercies sake.
Loke thow werche it in werk,
That thi word sheweth,
Swich as thow semest in sighte
Be in assay y-founde.
Appare quod es, vel esto quod ap-
pares.

a And lat no body be 6128

Makere of mankynde,
And of beestes bothe.

6095

" Austyn the olde
Herof made bokes,

Digitized by

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 189

By thi beryng bigiled,
But be swich in thi soule
As thow semest withoute.

" Thanne is Do-best to be boold
To blame the gilty,
Sythenes thow seest thiself
As in soule clene ;
Ac blame thow nevere body,
And thow be blame worthy.
Si cutpare velis,
Culpabilis em cavebis ;
Dogma tuum sordet, 6140
Cum te tua culpa remordet.

" God in the Gospel
Gxevously repreveth
AUe that lakketh any lif ,
And lakkes han hemselve.
Qui comideras festucam in oculo
fratrU tui, trabem in oculo tuo,
etc.

" Why menestow thi mood for a
In thi brotheres eighe, [mote
Sithen a beem in thyn owene «m
A-blyndeth thiselve.
Ejice primo trabem in oculo tuo,
etc.

Which letteth thee to loke
Lasse outher more.

" I rede ech a blynd bosarde
Do boote to hymselve,
For abbotes and for priours,
And for alle manere prelates,
As persons and parisshes preestes
That preche sholde and teche 6162

Digitized by

190 THE VISION OF

AHe maner men to amenden 6163
Bi hire myghtes.

" This text was told yow,
To ben y-war, er ye taughte,
That ye were swiche as ye seye,
So salve with othere ;
For Goddes word wolde noghtbelost,
For that wercheth evere ;
If it availled noght the commune,
It myghte availle yowselve.

"Ac it semeth now soothly
To the worldes sighte, 6174
That Goddes word wercheth noght
On lered ne on lewed*
But in swich a manere
As Marc meneth in the gospel :
Bum cacm ducit cacum, ambd in
foveam cadunt.

" Lewed men may likne yow thus,
That the beem lith in youre eighen ;
And the festu is fallen
For youre defaute,
In aUe maner men, 6185
Thorugh mausede preestes.
The Bible bereth witnesse
That the folk of Israel
Bittre a-boughte the giltes
Of two badde preestes,
Offyn and Fynes,
For hir coveitise,
Archa Dei mys-happed,
And Ely brak his nekke. [heron.

"For-thi ye corectours claweth
And corecteth first yowselve 6196

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 191

And thanne mowe ye safly seye, ew
As David made in the Sauter,
Existimasti inique quod ero tui

similis, arguam te, et statuam

contra faciem tuam.
"And thanne shul burel clerkes

ben abasshed
To blame yow or to greve,
And carpen noght as thei carpe now,
Ne calle yow doumbe houndes..
Canes non valentes latrare. [word,
And drede to wrathe yow in any
Youre werkmanshipe to lette,
And be prester at youre preiere,
Than for a pound of nobles.
And al for youre holynesse,
Have ye this in herte.

" In scole there is scorn,
But if a clerk wol lerne,
And gret love and likyng,
For ech of hem loveth oother.

" Ac now is Eeligion a rydere,
A romere aboute, 6218
A ledere of love-dayes,
And a lond-buggere,
A prikere on a palfrey
Fro manere to manere,
An heepe of houndes at his ers
As he a lord were.
And but if his knave knele
That shal his coppe brynge,
He loureth on hym, and asketh hym
Who taughte hym curteisie.

"Lite! hadde lordes to doon, 6229

Digitized by

192 THE VISION OF

To gyve lond from hire heires 6230
To religiouse, that han no routhe,
Though it reyne on hir auters.

"La many places ther thei ben
By hemself at ese [persons,
Of the povere have thei no pite* ;
And that is hir charite\
Ac thei leten hem as lordes
Hire londes lyen so brode.

" Ac ther shal come a kyng,
And confesse yow religiouses,
And bete yow as the Bible telleth 6241
For brekynge of youre rule ;
And amende monyals,
Monkes and chanons,
And puten to hir penaunce
Adpristinum, datum, ire;
And barons with erles beten hem,
Thorugh Beatus-virres techyng,
That hir barnes daymen
And blame yow foule.
Hi in currtbm et hi in equis ipsi
obligati sunt, etc, 6252

" And thanne freres in hir fray-
Shul tynden a keye [tour
Of Costantyns cofres,
In which is the catel
That Grregories god-children
Han yvele despended.

" And thanne shal the abbot of
Abyngdone,
And al his issue for evere,
Have a knok of a kyng,
And incurable the wounde. 6263

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 193

" That this worth sooth, seke ye

That offce over-se the Bible :

Quomodo cessavit exactor, quievit
tributum, contrivit Dominus
baculum impiorum et virgam
dominantium cadentium plaga
imanabili.
" Ac er Jhat kyng come,

Caym shal awake.

But Do-wel shal dyngen hym adoun,

And destruye his myghte." [quod I,
" Thanne is Do-wel and Do-bet,"

<e Dominu8 and knyghthode."

"I nel noght scorne," quod

" But if scryveynes lye ; [Scripture,

Kynghod ne knyghthod,

By noght I kan a-wayte,

Helpeth noght to hevene-ward

Oone heris ende ;

Ne richesse right noght,

Ne reautee of lordes.

Poul preveth it impossible

Eiche men to have hevene. 6286

Salomon seith also

That silver is worst to lovye :

Nihil iniquius quam amare pecu-
niam*

And Caton kenneth us to coveiten it
Naught but as nede techeth,
Dilige denarium, sed parce dilige

formam.
And patriarkes and prophetes,
And poetes bothe,
Writen to wissen us 6297
13

194 THE VISION OF

To wilne no richesse, 6298
And preisedenpovertewithpacience ;
The apostles bereth witnesse
That thei han eritage in hevene,
And by trewe righte ;
Ther riche men no right may cleyme,
But of rathe and grace."

•« Contra'' quod I, "by Crist !
That kan I repreve,
And preven it by Peter,
And by Poul bothe,
That is baptized beth saaf, 6309
Be he riche or povere." [Scripture,

"That is in extremis" quod
" Amonges Sarzens and Jewes,
They mowen be saved so,
And that is oure bileve,
That an un-cristene in that caas
May cristen an hethen ;
And for his lele bileve,
Whan he the lif tyneth,
Have the heritage of hevene
As any man cristene. 6320

' ' Ac cristene men withoute moore
Maye noght come to hevene ;
For that Crist for cristene men
Deide and confermed the lawe,
That who so wolde and wilneth
With Crist to arise,
Si cum Christo surexistis, etc.
He sholde lovye and leve,
And the lawe fulnlle.
That is, love thi lord God
Levest aboven alle ; 6331

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 195

And after, alle cristene creatures

In commune, ech man oother ;

And thus bi-longeth to lovye,

That leveth be saved.

And but we do thus in dede,

At the day of dome

It shal bi-sitten us ful soure

The silver that we kepen ;

And oure bakkes that mothe-eten be,

And seen beggeris go naked ;

Or delit in wyn and wilde fowel,

And wite any in defaute. 6343

For every cristene creature

Sholde be kynde til oother,

And sithen hethen to helpe,

In hope of amendement.

" God hoteth heighe and lowe
That no man hurte oother ;
And seith, 'Slee noght that sein-
To myn owene liknesse, [blable is
But if I sende thee som tokene ; '
And seith, ' Non mcechaberis.
Is slee noght, but suffre, 6354
And al for the beste ; [torie
For I shal punysshe hem in purga-
Or in the put of helle,
Ech man for hise mysdedes,
But mercy it lette/ "

"HpHIS is a long lesson," quod I,
JL " And litel am I the wiser ;
Where Do-wel is or Do-bet,
Derkliche ye shewen.
Manye tales ye tellen 63«4

196 THE VISION OF

That Theologie lemeth ; 6365
And that I man maad was,
And my name y-entred
In the legende of lif
Longe er I were, [nesse,
Or ellis un-writen for som wikked-
As Holy Writ witnesseth :
Nemo ascendit ad caelum, nisi qui
de ccelo descendit.

" I leve it wel." quod I, " by oure
And on no lettrure bettre. [Lord !
For Salomon the sage, 6376
That Sapience taughte,
God gat hym grace of wit,
And alle hise goodes after ;
He demed wel and wisely,
As Holy Writ telleth.
Aristotle and he,
Who wissed men bettre ?
Maistres that of Goddes mercy
Techen men and prechen,
Of hir wordes thei wissen us
For wisest as in hir tyme, 6387
And al holy chirche '
Holdeth hem bothe y-dampned.

" And if I sholde werche by hir
To wynne me hevene, [werkes
That for hir werkes and wit
Now wonyeth in pyne,
Thanne wroughe I un-wisly,
What so evere ye preche.

" Ac of fele witty, in feith,
Litel ferly I have,

Though Mr goost be un-gracious 6898

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 197

God for to plese. 6399

For many men on this moolde

Moore setten hir hertes

In good than in God ;

For-thi hem grace failleth

At hir mooste meschief,

.Whan thei shal lif lete.

As Salomon dide, and swiche othere

That shewed grete wittes ;

Ac hir werkes, as holy writ seith,

Were evere the contrarie.

For-thi wise witted men, 6410

And wel y-lettrede clerkes,

As thei seyen hemself,

Selde doon theraffcer.

Super cathedra Moysi, etc.

"Ac I wene it worth of manye,
As was in Noes tyme,
Tho he shoop that shipe
Of shides and of bordes ;
Was nevere wrighte saved that

wroghte theron,
Ne oothir werkman ellis, 6421
But briddes, and beestes,
And the blissed Noe,
And his wif with hise sones,
And also hire wyves ;
Of wightes that it wroghte
Was noon of hem y-saved.

" God leve it fare noght so bi folk
That the feith techeth
Of holi chirche, that herberwe is,
And Goddes hous to save,
And shilden us from shame therinne,

198 THE VISION OF

As Noes ship dide beestes ; 6438
And men that maden it
A-mydde the flood a-dreynten.
The culorum of this clause
Curatour8 is to mene, [make
That ben carpenters holy kirk to
For Cristes owene beestes :
Homines et jumenta salvabis, Do
mine, etc,

" On Good Friday I fynde
A felon was y-saved,
That hadde lyved al his lif 6444
With lesynges and with thefte ;
And for he beknede to the cros,
And to Crist shrof him,
He was sonner y-saved
Than seint Johan the Baptist ;
And or Adam or Ysaye,
Or any of the prophetes,
That hadde y-leyen with Lucifer
Many longe yeres,
A robbere was y-raunsoned
Rather than thei alle,. [tone,
Withouten any penaunce of purga-
To perpetuel blisse.

" Than Marie Maudeleyne
What womman dide werse?
Or who worse than David,
That Uries deeth conspired ?
Or Pbul the apostle,
That no pite* hadde
Muche cristene kynde
Tokilletodethe?
And now ben thise as sovereyns
With seintes in hevene, 6467

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 199

Tho that wroughte wikkedlokest 6468
In world tho thei were.
And tho that wisely wordeden,
And writen manye bokes
Of wit and of wisedom,
With dampned soules wonye.
That Salomon seith, I trowe be sooth
•And certein of us alle :
Sunt justi atque sapientes et opera
eorum in manu Dei sunt, etc.

" Ther are witty and wel libbynge,
Ac hire werkes ben y-hudde 6479
In the hondes of almyghty God,
And he woot the sothe,'
Wherfore a man worth allowed there,
And hise lele werkes,
Or ellis for his yvel wille,
And for envye of herte,
And be allowed as he ly ved so ;
For by the luthere men knoweth
the goode.

"And wherby wiste men which
If alle thyng blak were ? [were whit,
And who were a good man,
But if ther were som sherewe ?
For-thi lyve we forth with otherc

I leve fewe ben goode ; [men,
For quant oportet vient en place,

II n'y ad que pati.

And he that may al amende,
Have mercy on us alle !
For sothest word that ever God seide
Was tho he seide Nemo bonus.

" Clergie tho of Cristes mouth
Comended was it litel ; 6501

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200 THE VISION OF

For he seide to seint Peter, 6502

And to swiche as he lovede,

Cum 8teteritis ante reges et pra~

tides, etc.
Though ye come bifore kynges
And clerkes of the lawe,
Beth noght abasshed,
For I shal be in youre mouthes,
And gyve yow wit and wille,
And konnyng to conclude
Hem alle that ayeins yow

"David maketh mencion,
He spak amonges kynges,
And myghtenokyngover-comenhym

But wit and wisedom
Wan nevere the maistrie,
Whan man was at meschief,
Withoute the moore grace.

" The doughtieste doctour
And devinour of the Trinitee
Was Austyn the olde, 6524
And heighest of the foure,
Seide thus in a sermon,
I seigh it writen ones :
Ecce ipti idiota irapiunt ccehcm, vhi
no8 sapientes in inferno mer-
gimur.
" And is to mene to men,
Moore ne lesse,
Am none rather y-ravysshed
Fro the righte bileve,
Than are thise konnynge clerkes
That konne manye bokes. 6536

Of Cristendom disputen.

6513

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 201

" Ne none sonner saved, 6637
Ne sadder of bileve,
Than plowmen and pastours,
And othere commnne laborers ;
Souteres and shepherdes,
And othere lewed juttes,
Percen with a pater-noster
The paleys of hevene,
And passen purgatorie penaunce-lees
At her hennes partyng
Into the blisse of paradis,
For hir pure bileve, 6548
That imparfitly here knewe,
And ek lyvede.

" Ye men knowe clerkes,
That han corsed the tyme
Thateveretheikouthe or knewe moore
Than Credo in Deum patrem ;
And principally hir pater-noster
Many a persone hath wisshed.

" I se ensamples myself,
And so may manye othere,
That servauntz that serven lordes
Selde fallen in arerage,
And tho that kepen the lordes catel,
Clerkes and reves.

" Bight so lewed men,
And of litel knowyng,
Selden falle thei so foule
And so fer in synne,
As clerkes of holy chirche
That kepen Cristes tresor,
The which is mannes soule to save,
As God seith in the Gospel :
Ite vo8 in vineam meam" 6571

Passm Undecimw.

HANNE Scripture scorned
And a skile tolde, [me,
And lakked me in Latyn,
And light by me she sette,
And seide " Multi multa sciunt
M seipsos nesciunt"

Tho wepte I for wo
And wrathe of hir speche ;
And in a wynkynge wrathe
Weex I a-slepe.
A merveillous metels
Mette me thanne, 6583
That I was ravysshed right there,
And Fortune me fette,
And into the lond of longynge
Allone she me broughte, [erthe
And in a mirour that highte middel-
She made me to biholde.
" Sone," she seide to me,
" Here myghtow se wondres,
And knowe that thow coveitest,
And come therto, peraunter."

Thanne hadde Fortune folwynge
Two faire damyseles ; [hire

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 203

Conctipiscentia-carnis 6596
Men called the elder mayde,
And Coveitise-of-eighes
Y-called was that oother.
Pride-of-parfit-lyvynge
Pursued hem bother
And bad me for my contenaunce
Acounten Clergie Mghte.

Conctqmcentia-carnis
Colled me aboute the nekke,
And seide, "Thow art yong and
And hast yeres y-nowe [jeepe,
For to lyve longe,
And ladies to lovye ;
And in this mirour thow myght se
Myghtes ful manye,
That leden thee wole to likynge
Althilif tynie."

The secounde seide the same,
" I shal sewe thi wille ;
Til thow be a lord and have lond,
Leten thee I nelle,
That I ne shal folwe thi felawshipe,
If Fortune it like."
" He shal fynde me his frend,"
Quod Fortune therafter ;
" The freke that folwede my wille
Failled nevere blisse." [Elde,

Thanne was ther oon that highte
That hevy was of chere ; [thee,
" Man," quod he, " if I mete with
By Marie of hevene !
Thow shalt fynde Fortune thee faille
At thi mooste nede, 6629

Digitized by

204 THE VISION OF

And Concupiscentia-carnis 6680

Clene thee forsake.

Bittrely shaltow banne thanne

Bothe dayes and nyghtes

Coveitise-of-eighe,

That evere thow hir knewe,

And Pride-of- parfit-lyyynge

To muche peril thee brynge."

" Ye, recche thee nevere," quod
Bechelesnesse,
Stood forthe in raggede clothes,
" Folwe forth that Fortune wole, 6640
Thow hast wel fer til Elde ;
A man may stoupe tyme y-nogh,
Whan he shal tyne the crowne.

" Homo proponit quod a poete,
And Plato he highte,
And Dew duponit quod he,
Lat God doon his wille.
If Truthe wol witnesse it be wel do
Fortune to folwe,
Concupiscentia-carniSi
Ne Coveitise-of-eighes, 6651
Ne shal noght greve thee gretly,
Ne bigile, but if thow wolt thiselve."

" Ye, fare wel Phippe and Faun-
And forth gan me drawe, [teltee,"
Til Concupiscentia-carnis
Acorded alle my werkes.

"Alas! eighe," quod Elde
And Holynesse bothe, [nesse,
That wit shal torne to wrecched-
For wil to have his likyng."

Coveitise-of-eighes 6662

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 205

Conforted me anoon after, 6663

And folwed me fourty wynter

And a fifte moore,

That of Do-wel ne Do-bet

Ne deyntee me thoughte.

I hadde no likyng, leve me if thee list,

Of hem ought to knowe.

Coveitise-of-eighes 6674

Com ofter in mynde

Than Do-wel or Do-bet,

Among my dedes alle.

Coveitise-of-eighes 6674
Conforted me ofte,
And seide, " Have no conscience
How thow come to goode.
Go confesse thee to som frere,
And shewe hym thi synnes ;
For whiles Fortune is thi frend
Freres wol thee lovye, ,
And fecche thee to hir fraternitee,
And for the biseke
To hir priour provincial
A pardon for to have, 6686
And preien for thee pol by pol,
If thow be pecuniosus."
Sed poena pecuniaria non sufficit pro
spiritmlibus delictis.

By wissynge of this wenche I
wroughte,
Hir wordes were so swete,
Til I for-yat youthe,
And yarn into elde.

And thanne was Fortune my foo, •
For al hir faire speche \ m 6696

Digitized by

206 THE VISION OF

And poverte pursued me, 66»6
And putte me lowe.

And tho fond I the frere a-fered,
And flittynge bothe
Ayeins oure firste for-warde ;
For I seide I nolde
Be buried at hire hous,
But at my parisshe chirche.
For I herde ones
How Conscience it tolde,
That there a man were cristned
Be kynde he sholde be buryed ;
Or where he were parisshen,
Right there he sholde be graven.
And for I seide thus to freres,
A fool thei me helden,
And loved me the lasse
For my lele speche.

Ac yet I cryde on my confessour,
That heeld hymself so konnyng ;
" By my feith ! frere," quod I,
" Te faren lik thise woweris
That wedde none widwes 6718
But for to welden hir goodes.
Bight so, by the roode !
Boughte ye nevere
Where my body were buryed,
By so ye hadde my silver.

"Ich havemuche merveilleof yow,
And so hath many another,
Whi youre covent coveiteth
To confesse and to burye,
Bather than to baptize barnes
That ben eatecumelynges. 6729

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 207

Baptizynge and buryinge 6730

Bothe beth ful nedeftdle ;

Ac muche moore meritorie,

Me thynketh it is to baptize.

For a baptized man may,

As thise maistres telleth,

Thorugh contricion come

To the heighe hevene.

Sola contritio, etc.

Ac barn withouten bapteme

May noght so be saved.

Nisi quis renatus fuerit. 6741

Loke ye, lettred men,

Wheither I lye or do noght."

And Lewte loked on me,

And I loured after. [Lewtee,

"Wherfore lourestow?" quod
And loked on me harde.

" If I dorste," quod I, " amonges
This metels avowe ! " [men

" Yis, by Peter and by Poul ! "
quod he,
And took hem bothe to witnesse.
Non oderis fratres secrete in corde
tuo, 8edpublice argue illos."

"They wole aleggen also," quod I,
" And by the Gospel preven :
Nolite judicare quemquam"

" And wherof serveth lawe ? "
quod Lewtee,
" If no lif undertoke it,
Palsnesse ne faiterie,
For som what the apostle seide,
Non oderis fratrem. 6761

208 THE VISION OF

And in the Sauter also 6762
Seith David the prophete,
Existimasti inique quod ero tui
similu, etc.

" It is licitum for lewed men
To sigge the sothe,
If hem liketh and lest,
Ech a lawe it graunteth ;
Excepte persons and preestes,
And prelates of holy chirche,
It falleth noght for that folk
No tales to telle, 6773
Though the tale be trewe,
And it touche synne.

" Thyng that al the world woot,
Wherfore sholdestow spare
To reden it in retorik
To a-rate dedly synne ?
Ac be nevere moore the firste
Defaute to blame ; [first,
Though thow se yvel, seye it noght
Be sory it nere amended.
No thyng that is pryve', 678*
Publice thow it nevere ;
Neither for love preise it noght,
Ne lakke it for envye.
Parum lauda, vitupera parcim."

" He seith sooth," quod Scripture
tho,

And skipte an heigh, and preched.

Ac the matere that she meved,

If lewed men it knewe,

The lasse, as I leve,

Lovyen it thei wolde. 6794

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 209

This was hir teme and hir text,
I took ful good hede ;
Multi to a mangerie
And to the mete were sompned ;
And whan the peple was plener
comen,

The porter unpynned the yate,
And plukked in Pauci pryveliche,
And leet the remenaunt go rome.

Al for tene of hir text
Trembled myn herte ;
And in a weer gan I wexe, 6805
And with myself to dispute
Wheither I were chosen or noght

chosen.
On holi chirche I thoughte,
That under-fonged me atte font
For oon of Goddes chosene.
For Crist cleped us alle,
Come if we wolde,
Sarzens and scismatikes,
And so he dide the Jewes.
0 vos omnes dtientes, venite, etc.
And bad hem souke for synne
Safly at his breste,
And drynke boote for bale,
Brouke it who so myghte.

"Thanne may alle cristene come,"

quod I,
" And cleyme there entree
By the blood that he boughte us
And thorugh bapteme after, [with
Qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit,

etc. 6896

14

Digitized by

210 TEE VISION OF

For though a cristen man coveited
His cristendom to reneye,
Rightfully to reneye
No reson it wolde.

" For may no cherl chartre make,
Ne his catel selle,
Withouten leve of his lord ;
No lawe wol it graunte.
Ac he may renne in arerage,
And rome so fro home,
And as a reneyed caytif
Recchelesly rennen aboute. 6838
And Reson shal rekene with hym,
And casten hym in arerage,
And putten hym after in a prison
In purgatorie to brenne,
For hise arerages rewarden hym there
To the day of dome ;
But if Contricion wol come,
And crye, by his lyve,
Mercy for hise mysdedes,
With mouthe and with herte,"

" That is sooth," seide Scripture ;
" May no synne lette
Mercy al to amende,
And mekenesse hir folwe.
For thei beth, as oure bokes telleth,
Above Goddes werkes."
Misericordia ejus super omnia opera
ejus.

" Te, baw for bokes," quod oon
Was Broken out of heUe,
Highte Trojanus, hadde ben atrewe
Topk witnesse at a pope, [knyght,

PTBMS PLOUGHMAN. 211

How he was ded and dampned 6861
To dwellen in pyne,
For an uncristene creature ;
" Clerkes wite the sothe,
That al the clergie under Crist
Ne myghte me cracche fro helle,
But oonliche love and leautee,
And my laweful domes.

" Gregorie wiste this wel,
And walned to my soule
Savacion for soothnesse
That he seigh in my werlges : 6873
And after that he wepte,
And wilned me were graunted
Grace ; withouten any bene biddyng
His boone was under-fongen,
And I saved, as ye see,
Withouten syngynge of masses;
By love and by lernyng
Of my lyvynge, in truthe*
Broughte me fro bitter peyne
Ther no biddyng myghte."

Lo ! ye lordes, what leautee dide
By an emperour of Borne,
That was an uncristene creature,
As clerkes fyndeth in bokes.
Nought thorugh preiere of a pope,
But for his pure truthe,
Was that Sarsen saved.
As seint Gregorie bereth witnesse.

Wel oughte ye, lordes, that lawes
kepe,

This lesson to have in mynde,
And on Trojanus truthe to thenke,

Digitized by

212 THE VISION OF

And do trathe to the peple. 6894
" Lawe, withouten love, quod Tro-
" Ley ther a bene, [janus,
Or any science under sonne,
The sevene artz and alle,
But thei ben lernedfor oure Lordes
Lost is al the tyme (love,
For no cause to cacche silver therby,
Ne to be called a maister,
But al for love of oure Lord,
And the bet to love the peple,
For seint Johan seide it, 6905
And sothe' am hise wordes.
Qui non diligit, manet in morte.

Who so loveth noght, leve me,
He lyveth in deep deyinge ;
And that alle manere men,
Enemyes and frendes,
Love hir eyther oother,
And leve hem, as hemselve,
Who so leveth noght, he loveth
God woot the sothe ! [noght,
Crist comaundeth ech a creature
To conformen hym to lovye,
And sovereynly the povere peple,
And hir enemyes after.
For hem that haten us
Is oure merite to lovye,
And povere peple to plese,
Hir preieres maye us helpe.
And oure joye and oure heele
Jhesu Crist of hevene
In a povere mannes apparaille
Pursued us evere ; 6927

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 213

And loketh on us in hir liknesse,
And that with lovely chere,
To knowen us by oure kynde herte
And castynge of oure eighen,
Wheither we love the lordes here
Bifore the Lord of blisse ;
And exciteth us by the Euvangelie
That whan we maken festes,
We sholde noght clepe oure kyn
Ne none kynnes riche. [therto,
Oumfacitis convivia, nolite invitare
amicos. 6939
" Ac calleth the carefulle therto,
The croked and the povere.
For youre firendes wol feden yow,
And fonde yow to quyte [gifte ;
Youre festynge and youre faire
Ech trend quyteth so oother.

" Ac for the povere I shal paie,
And pure wel quyte hir travaiUe,
That gyveth hem mete or moneie,
Or loveth hem for my sake."
For the beste ben som riche, 6950
And some beggeres and povere.
For alle are we Cristes creatures,
And of his cofres riche,
And bretheren as of oo blood,
As wel beggeres as erles.
For on Calvarie of Cristes blood
Cristendom gan sprynge,
And blody bretheren we bicomen
Of o body y-wonne, [there
As quasi modo geniti,
And gentil-men echone ; 6961

Digitized by

814 THE VISION OF

No beggere ne boye amonges us,
But if it synne made.
Qui facit peccatum, servu* est pec-
coti.

" In the olde lawe,
As holy lettre telleth,
Mennes sones
Men callen us echone,
Of A dames issue and Eve,
Ay til God man deide ;
And after his resurexcion
Redemptor was his name, [y-brought,
And we hise bretherenthorughhym
Bothe riche and povere. [ren,

" For-thi love we as leve brethe-
And ech man laughe of oother ;
And of that ech man may forbere
Amende there it nedeth ;
And every man helpe oother r
For hennes shul we alle.
Alter olterius onera port ate.

" And be we noght un-kynde of
oure catel,
Ne of oure konnyng neither. 6984
For woot no man how neigh it is
To ben y-nome fro bothe.
For-thi lakke no lif oother,
Though he moore Latyn knowe ;
Ne under-nyme noght foule ;
For is noon withoute defaute.
For what evere clerkes carpe
Of cristendom or ellis,
Crist to a commune womman seide,
In commune at a feste, 6994

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 215

That fides sua sholde saven hire,
And salven hire of synnes.

" Thanne is bileve a lele help,
Above logyk or lawe.
Of logyk or of lawe
In Legenda Sanctorum
Is litel alowaunce maad,
But if bileve hem helpe.
For it is over longe er logyk
Any lesson assoille ;
And lawe is looth to lovye,
But if he lacche silver. 7006
Bothe logyk and lawe,
That loveth noght to lye,
I conseille alle cristene
Clyve noght theron to soore ;
For some wordes I fynde writen,
That were of feithes techyng,
That saved synful men,
As seint Johan bereth witnesse.
Eadem mensura qua tnensi fueritis,
remetietur vobis.

"For-thi lerne we the lawe of
As oure Lord taughte, \\oye,
And as seint Gregorie seide
For mannes soule helthe :
Melius est scrutari scelera nostra,
quam naturas rerum.

" Why I meve this matere,
Is moost for the povere ;
For in hir liknesse oure Lord
Ofke hath ben y-knowe.
Witnesse in the Pask wyke
Whan he yede to Emaiis ; 7038

216 THE VISION OF

, Cleophas ne knew hym noght 7029
That he Crist were,
For his povere apparaille,
And pilgrymes wedes,
Til he blessede and brak
The breed that thei eten ;
So bi hise werkes thei wisten
That he was Jhesus,
Ao by clothyng thei knewe hym
Ne by carpynge of tunge. [noght,
And al was in ensample
To us synfulle here, 7040
That we sholde be lowe
And loveliche of speche, [proudly,
And apparaille us noght over
For pilgrymes are we alle.

" And in the apparaille of a povere
And pilgrymes liknesse, [man,
Many tyme God hath ben met
Among nedy peple,
Ther nevere segge hym seigh
In secte of the riche.

" Seint Johan and othere seintes
Were seyen in poore clothyng,
And as povere pilgrymes
Preyed mennes goodes. [lighte,

" Jhesu Crist on a Jewes doghter
Gentil womman though she were,
Was a pure povere maide,
And to a povere man y-wedded.

" Martha on Marie Maudeleyne
An huge pleynt made,
And to oure Saveour self
Seide thise wordes ; 7063

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 217

Domine, non eat tibi cura quod

miniatrare.
" And nastily God answerde,
And eitheres wille folwed,
Bothe Marthaes and Maries,
As Mathew bereth witnesse ;
Ac poverte God putte bifore,
And preised that the bettre.
Maria optimum partem elegit, qua

non, etc.

" And allethe wise that everewere,
By aught I kan aspye,
Preiseden poverte for best lif,
If pacience it folwed,
And bothe bettre and blesseder
By many fold than richesse.
Tor though it be sour to suffre,
Therafter cometh swete ;
As on a walnote withoute
Is a bitter barke,
And after that bitter bark,
Be the shelle aweye, 7086
Is a kernel of confort
Kynde to restore.

" So is after poverte or penaunce

For it maketh a man to have mynde
In God, and a gret wille
To wepe and to wel bidde,
Wherof wexeth mercy,
Of which Crist is a kernelle
To conforte the soule.
And wel sikerer he slepeth, 709^

soror mea reliquit me solam

Digitized by

Google

218 THE VISION OF

And lasse he dredeth deeth,
And in derke to ben y-robbed,
Than he that is right riche,
Eeson bereth witnesse.
Pauper ego ludo, dum tu dives me-
di tarts.
" Al though Salomon seide,
A 8 folk seeth in the Bible,
Divitias nec pauper tates, etc.
Wiser than Salomon was
Bereth witnesse and taughte Tioe
That parfit poverte was
No possession to have,
And lif moost likynge to God,
As Luc bereth witnesse :
Si vis perfect™ em, bade et vende.

" And is to mene to men
That on this moolde lyven,
Who so wole be pure parfit
Moot possession forsake,
Or selle it, as seith the Book,
And the silver dele
To beggeris that goon and begge
And bidden good for Goddes love.
For failed nevere man mete
That myghtful God serveth,
As David seith in the Sauter
To swiche that ben in wille
To serve God goodliche,
Ne greveth hym no penaunce :
Nihil inpo8sibile volenti.
Ne lakketh nevere liflode,

The man that i:

7097

Lynnen ne wollen.

7130

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 219

luquirentes autem Dominum non
minuentur omni bono.
" If preestes weren parifite,
Thei wolde ne silver take
For masses ne for matyns,
Noght hir mete of usureres,
Ne neither kirtel ne cote,
Theigh thei for cold sholde deye,
And thei hir devoir dide,
As David seith in the Sauter:
Judica me, Deus, et decerne camam
meant. 7H2
" Spera-in-Deo speketh of preestes
That have no spendyng silver,
That if thei travaille truweliche
And truste in God almyghty,
Hem sholde lakke no Mode,
Neyther lynnen ne wollen.
And the title that ye take ordres by
Telleth ye ben avaunced ; [silver
Thanne nedeth yow noght to take

For he that took yow youre title,
Sholde take yow yonre wages,
Or the bisshop that blessed yow,
If that ye ben worthi. [knyght,
"For made nevere kyng no
But he hadde catel to spende
As bifel for a knyght,
Or foond hym for his strengths

And of a caytif kynges makyng,
That hath no lond ne lynage riche,
Ne good loos of hise handes. 7iw

For masses that ye syngen.

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220 THE VISION OF

" The same I segge, for sothe,
By alle swiche preestes
That han neither konnynge ne kyn,
But a crowne one,
And a title, a tale of noght,
To his liflode at his meschief.
He hath moore bileve, as I leve,
To lacche through his croune
Cure, than for konnyng,
Or knowen for clene berynge.
I have wonder for why
And wherefore the bisshope 7176
Maketh swiche preestes,
That lewed men bitrayen.

u A chartre is chalangeable
Bifore a chief justice ;
If fals Latyn be in the lettre,
The lawe it impugneth,
Or peynted parentrelynarie,
Or percelles over-skipped ;
The gome that gloseth so chartres
For a goky is holden.

" So is it a goky, by God ! 7187
That in his gospel failleth,
Or in masse or in matyns
Maketh any defaut.
Qui offendit in uno, in omnibus est
reus.

" And also in the Sauter
Seith David to over-skipperis,
PsaUite Deo nostro, psdUite, quo-
niam rex terra Deus Israel,
psallite sapienter.
" The bisshop shal be blamed

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 221

Bifore God, as I leve, [knyghtes
That crouneth swiche Goddes
That konneth noght sapienter
Synge, ne psalmes rede,
Ne seye a masse of the day.
And never neither is blame-lees
The bisshope ne the chapeleyn ;
For hir either is endited,
And that is, ignorantia
Non excused episcopos
Nec idiotes preestes.

" This lokynge on lewed preestes
Hath doon me lepe from poverte,
The which I preise ther pacience is
Moore perfit than richesse."

AC muche moore in metynge
thus

With me gan oon dispute;

And slepynge I seigh al this.

And sithen cam Kynde,

And nempned me by my name,

And bad me nymen hede, 7219

And thorugh the wondres of this

Wit for to take. [world

And on a mountaigne that myddel-

Highte, as me thoughte, [erthe

T was fet forth

By ensamples to knowe

Thorugh ech a creature and kynde

My creatour to lovye.

I seigh the sonne and the see,
And the sond after ;
And where that briddes and beestes

228 THE VISION 01

Wilde wormes in wodes,
And wonderful fowetes
With fleckede fetheres
And of fele colours.

Man and his make
I myghte bothe biholde ;
Poverte and plentee ;
Bothe pees and werre ;
Blisse and bale bothe
I seigh al at ones ;
And how men token mede, 7242
And mercy refused.

Reson I seigh soothly
Sewen alle beestes,
In etynge, in drynkynge,
And in engendrynge of kynde ;
And after cours of concepcion,
Noon took kepe of oother [tyme,
As whan thei hadde ryde in rotey
Anoon right therafter
Males drowen hem to males
A-morwenynges by hemselve, 7263

The males ben fro femelles,
Ther ne was cow ne cow.-kynde
That conceyved hadde,
That wolde belwe after boles,
Ne boor after sowe ;
Bothe hors and houndes,
And alle othere beestes,
Medled noght with hir makes
That with fole were.

Briddes I biheld 7264

And in evenynges also

Digitized by

Google

PIJERS PLOUGHMAN. 22S

That in buskes made nestes, 7266

Hadde nevere wye wit

To werche the leeste.

I hadde wonder at whom

And wher the pye lerned

To legge the stikkes

In whiche she leyeth and bredeth.

Ther nys wrighte, as I wene,

Sholde werche hir nestes to paye ;

If any mason made a molde therto,

Muche wonder it were.
Ac yet me merveiJled moore,

How many othere briddes

Hidden and hileden

Hir egges ful derne

In mareys and moores,

For men sholde hem noght fynde ;

And hidden hir egges,

Whan thei therfro wente,

For fere of othere foweles,

And for wilde beestes.

And some troden hir makes,
And on trees bredden, 7287
And broughten forth hir briddes so-
Al above the grounde;
And some briddes at the bile
Thorugh brethyng conceyved;
And some caukede ; and took kepe
How pecokkes bredden.
Muche merveilled me
What maister hem made,
And who taughte hem on trees
To tymbre so heighe,
Ther neither burn ne beest 7298

224 TEE VISION OF

May hir briddes rechen. 7299
And sithen I loked upon the see,

And so forth upon the sterres ;

Manye selkouthes I seigh,

Ben noght to seye nouthe.
I seigh floures in the fryth,

And hir faire colours ;

And how among the grene gras

Growed so manye hewes,

And some soure and some swete,

Selkouth me thoughte ;

Of hir kynde and hir colour 7310

To carpe it were to longe.
Ac that moost meved me

And my mood chaunged,

That Eeson rewarded

And ruled alle beestes,

Save man and his make ;

Many tyme and ofte

No reson hem folwede.

And thanne I rebukede

Eeson, and right

Til hymselven I seyde : 7321
" I have wonder of thee," quod I,
" That witty art holden, [make,
Why thow ne sewest man and his
That no mysfeet hem folwe."

And Eeson a-rated me,
And seide, " Eecche thee nevere ;
Why I suffre or noght suflre,
Thiself hast noght to doone.
Amende thow it, if thow myght,
For my tyme is to abide.
Suffraunce is a soverayn vertue,

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 225

And a swift vengeance. 7388
Who suffrede moore than GodP"
" No gome, as I leeve. [quod he ;
He myghte amende in a minute while
Al that mys-standeth ;
Ac he suflxeth for som mannes goode,
And so it is oure bettre,
The wise and the witty
Wroot thus in the Bible :
Be re qua te non molestat, noli
certare.

" For be a man fair or foul, 7844
It faJleth noght for to lakke
The shap ne the shaft
That God shoop hymselve ;
For al that he dide was wel y-do,
As holy writ witnesseth :
Et vidit Deus cuncta qttafecerat, et
erant valde bona.

" And bad every creature
In his kynde encreesse ;
Al to murthe with man,
That moste wo tholie 78*5
In fondynge of the flessh,
And of the fend bothe.
For man was maad of swich a matere,
He may noght wel a-sterte
That ne som tyme hym bitit
Jo folwen his kynde.
Caton a-cordeth therwith,
Nemo sine crimine vivit."

Tho caughte I colour anoon,
And comsed to ben ashamed,
And awaked therwith. 7306
15

226 THE VISION OF

Wo was me thanne, 7367
That I in metels ne myghte
Moore have y-knowen.
And thanne seide I to myself,
And chidde that tyme, [quod I,
"Now I woot what Do-wel is,
By deere God ! as me thynketh."

And as I caste up myne eighen,
Oon loked on me and asked
Of me, what thynge it were :
"Y-wis, sire," I seide,
" To se muche and suffre moore,
Certes," quod I, " is Do-wel."

" Haddestow suffred," he seide,
" Slepynge tho thow were,
Thow sholdest have knowen that

Clergie kan,
And contreved moore thorugh reson.
For Eeson wolde have reherced thee
Right as Clergie seide.
Ac for thyn entre-metynge,
Here artow forsake.
Philosophus esses, si tacuisses 7388

" Adam, whiles he spak noght,
Hadde paradis at wille ;
Ac whan he mamelede aboute mete,
And entre-metede to knowe
The wisedom and the wit of God,
He was put fram blisse. #

"And right so ferde Eeson bi thee ;
Thow with thi rude speche
Lakkedest and losedest thyng
That longed the noght to doone.
Tho hadde he .no likyng
For to lere the moore. 7400

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 227

" Pryde now and presumption 7401
Peraventure wol thee appele,
That Clergie thi compaignye
Kepeth noght to suwe.
Shal nevere chalangynge ne chidynge
Chaste a man so soone,
As shal shame, and shenden hym,
And shape hym to amende.
For lat a dronken daffe
In a dyk falle,

Lat hym %ge, loke noght on hym,
Til hym liste aryse. 7412
For though Eeson rebuked hym
It were but pure synne. [thanne,
Ac whan nede nymeth hym up
For doute lest he sterve,
And shame shrapeth hise clothes,
And hise shynes wassheth,
Thanne woot the dronken daffe
Wherfore he is to blame."

" Ye siggen sooth," quod I ;
" Ich have y-seyen it ofte,
Ther smyt no thyng so smerte,
Ne smelleth so soure,
As shame, there he sheweth hym ;
For every man hym shonyeth.
Why ye wisse me thus," quod I,
" Was for I rebuked Eeson."
• "Certes,"quodhe,"thatis sooth;"
And shoop hym for to walken.
And I aroos up right with that,
And folwed hym after,
And preyde hym of his curteisie
To telle me his name. 7434

Digitized by

Passu* Duodecimw, etc.

AM Ymaginatif,"quodhe,
gS^ " Ydel was I nevere,

Though I sitte by myself,
«#tJyE7?$ In siknesse nor in helthe.

I have folwed thee,infeith !
Thise fyve and fourty wynter,
And manye tymes have meved thee
To thynke on thyn ende,
And how fele fernyeres are faren,
And so fewe to come ;
And of thi wilde wantownesse
Tho thow yong were, 7446
To amende it in thi middel age,
Lest myght the failled
In thyn olde elde,
That yvele kan suffre
Poverte or penaunce,
Or preyeres to bidde.
Si turn in prima vigilia, nec in %e-
cunda, etc.
"Amende thee, while thow myght ;
Thow hast ben warned ofte
With poustees of pestilences,
With poverte and with angres ; 7458

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN 229

And with thise bittre baleises 7*5&
God beteth his deere children.
Quern diligo, castigo.

" And David in the Sauter seith
Of swiche that loveth Jhesus :
Virga tua et baculus turn ipsa me
consolati sunt. [thi staf,

" Al though thow strike me with
With stikke or with yerde,
It is but murthe as for me,
To amende my soule. [kynges,
And thow medlest thee with ma-
And myghtest go seye thi Sauter,
And bidde for hem that gyveth thee
For ther are bokes y-knowe [breed,
To telle men what Do-wel is,
Do-bet and Do-best bothe,
And prechours to preven what it is
Of many a peire freres."

I seigh wel he seide me sooth ;
And som what me to excuse,
Seide Caton conforted me his sone,
That clerk though he were, 7481
To solacen hym som tyme,
As I do whan I make :
Interpone tuis interdum gaudia cutis.

"And of holy men I herde,"
" How thei outher while [quod I,
Pleyden the parfiter,
To ben in manye places,
Ac if ther were any wight
That wolde me telle
What were Do-wel and Do-bet im

Digitized by

230 THE VISION OF

And Do-best at the laste, 7498
Wolde I nevere do werk,
But wende to holi chirche,
And there bidde my bedes,
But whan ich ete or slepe."

" Poul in his pistle," quod he,
" Preveth what is Do-wel :
Tides, spea, caritas, et major horum,
etc.

Peith, hope, and charite* ;

And alle ben goode,

And saven men sondry tymes ; 7504

Ac noon so soone as charite\

Por he dooth wel withouten doute,

That dooth as lewte* techeth;

That is, if thow be man maryed,

Thi make thow lovye,

And lyve forth as kwe wole,

While ye lyven bothe.

" Right so if thow be religious,
Ren thow nevere ferther
To Rome ne to Rochemador,
But as thi rule techeth ; 7615
And hold thee under obedience,
That heigh wey is to hevene.

"And if thow be maiden to marye,
And myght wel continue,
Seke thow nevere seint ferther
Por no soule helthe.
Por what made Lucifer
To lese the heighe hevene ?
Or Salomon his sapience,
Or Sampson his strengthe ?
Job the Jew his joye 7526

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 231

Ful deere a-boughte ; 7527

Aristotle and othere mo,,

Ypocras and Virgile ;

Alisaundre, that al wan,

Elengliche ended.

Catel and kynde wit

Was combraunce to hem alle.

" Felice hir fairnesse
Fel hire al to sclaundre ;
And Eosamounde right so,
Reufulliche to bileve,
The beauts of hir body 7538
In baddenesse she despended.
Of manye swiche I may rede,
Of men and of wommen,
That wise wordes wolde shewe,
And werche the eontrarie.
Sunt homines nequam bene de virtute
loquentes.

" And riche renkes right so
Gaderen and sparen,
And tho men that thei moost haten
Mynistren it at the laste. 7549
And for thei suffren and see
So manye nedy folkes,
And love hem noght as oureLord bit,
Thei lesen hir soules.
Bate et dabitur vobis.

" And richesse right so,
But if the roote be trewe.
Ac grace is a. gras therof
Tho grevaunces to abate.
Ac grace ne groweth noght
But amonges lowe ; 7560

Digitized by

232 THE VISION OF

Patience and poverte 7561
The place highte ther it groweth,
And in lele lyvynge men,
And in lif holy,

And thorugh the gifte of the Holy
As the Gospel telleth. [Goost,
Spiritus ubi vult spirat.

" Clergie and kynde wit
Cometh of sighte and techyng ;
As the book bereth witnesse
To burnes that kan rede.
Quod scimus loquimur, quod vidimus
testamur.

" Of quod scimus cometh clergie
And konnynge of hevene ;
And of quod vidimus cometh kynde
Of sighte of diverse peple. [wit,
Ac grace is a gifte of God,
And of greet love spryngeth ;
Knew nevere clerk how it cometh
Ne kynde wit the weyes. [forth,
NescU aliquis unde venit, aut quo
vadit, etc. 7583

M Ac yet is clergie to comende,
And kynde wit bothe ;
And namely clergie, for Cristes love
That of clergie.is roote.
For Moyses witnesseth that God
For to wisse the peple [wroot
In the olde lawe, as the lettre telleth,
That was the lawe of Jewes,
That what womman were in avoutrye
Were she riche or poore, [taken,
With stones men sholde hir strike,

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 233

And stone hire to dethe. 7596

"A womman, as I fynde,
Was gilty of that dede.
Ac Crist of his curteisie
Thorugh clergie hir saved ;
And thorugh caractes that Crist
The Jewes knewe hemselve [wroot,
Giltier as a-fore God,
And gretter in synne,
Than the womman that there was,
And wenten awey for shame.

" The clergie that there was,
Conforted the womman.
Holy kirke knoweth this,
That Cristes writyng saved hire.
So clergie is confort
To creatures that repenten,
And to mansede men
Meschief at hire ende.

"For Goddes bodymyghtenoght
Of breed, withouten clergie ; [ben
The which body is bothe
Boote to the rightfulle, 7«17
And deeth and dampnacion
To hem that deyeth yvele,
As Cristes caracte confortede,
And bothe coupable shewed,
The womman that the Jewes

broughte,
That Jhesus thoughte to save.

olite judicata, et not judicabimini.
Right so Goddes body, bretheren,
But if it be worthili taken,
Dampneth us at the day of dome,

Digitized by

234 THE VISION OF

As the caractes dide the Jewes.

"For-thi I counseille thee, for
Cristes sake,
Clergie that thow lovye.
For kynde wit is of his kyn,
And neighe cosynes bothe
To oure Lord, leve me ;
For-thi love hem, I rede.
For bothe ben as mirours
To amenden oure defautes,
And lederes for lewed men
And for lettred bothe. 7638

" For-thi lakke thow nevere logik,
Lawe ne hise custumes ;
Ne countreplede clerkes,
I counseille thee for evere.
For as a man may noght see,
That mysseth hise eighen ;
Na-moore kan no clerk, [bokes.
But if he caughte it first thorugh
Al though men made bokes,
God was the maister,
And seint spirit the samplarie, 7649
And seide what men sholde write.

" Bight so ledeth lettrure
Lewed men to reson ;
And as a blynd man in bataille
Bereth wepne to fighte,
And hath noon hap with his ax
His enemy to hitte,
Na-moore kan a kynde witted man,
But olerkes hym teche,
Come for al his kynde wit
To cristendom, and be saved. 7660

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 235

Which is the cofre of Cristes tresor,
And clerkes kepe the keyes
To unloken it at hir likyng,
And to the lewed peple
Gyve mercy for hire mysdedes,
If men it wolde aske
Bnxomliche and benigneliche,
And bidden it of Grace.

" Archa Dei in the olde lawe
Levytes it kepten ;
Hadde nevere lewed man leve
To leggen hond on that cheste,
But he were preest or preestes sone,
Patriark or prophete.
For clergie is kepere
Under Crist of hevene.
Was ther nevere no knyght,
Bnt clergie hym made.
Ac kynde wit cometh

Of briddes and of beestes,

Of tastes of truthe and of deceites.

Useden to marke
For selkouthes that thei seighen,
Hir sones for to teche ;
And helden it an heigh science
Hir wittes to knowe.
Ac thorugh hir science soothly
Was nevere no soule y-saved,
Ne broght by hir bokes
To blisse ne to joye ;
For alle hir kynde knowynges
Come bnt of diverse sightes. 7694

Lyveris to-forn us

7683

by Google

236 THE VISION OF

" Patriarkes and prophetes 7695
Kepreveden hir science,
And seiden hir wordes and hir wis-
Nas but a folye ; [domes
And to the clergie of Crist
Counted it but a trufle.
Sapientia kujus mundi stultitia est
apud Deum.

" Eor the heighe Holy Goost
Hevene shal to-cleve,
And love shall lepen out after
Into the lowe erthe ; 7706
And clennesse shal cacchen it,
And clerkes shulkn it fynde.
Pastores loquebantur ad invicem.

" He speketh there of riche men
Ne of right witty, [right noght,
Ne of lordes that were lewed men,
But of the hyeste lettred oute.
Ibant magi ah oriente.

" If any frere were founde there,
I gyve thee fyve shillynges ;
Ne in none burgeises cote 7717
Was that barn born ;
But in a burgeises place
Of Bethlem the beste.
Sed non erat ei locus in diversorio, et
pauper non habet diversorium.

" To pastours and to poetes
Appered the aungel,
And bad hem go to Bethlem
Groddes burtiie to honoure ;
And songe a song of solas,
Gloria m excelsis Deo / 7728

Digitized byV^OOQle

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 237

" Clerkes knewen it wel, 7729
And comen with hir presentz,
And diden homage honurably
To hym that was almyghty.

" Why I have tolde al this,
I took ful good hede
How thow contrariedest Clergie
With crabbede wordes,
How that lewde men lightloker
Than lettrede were saved,
Than clerkes or kynde witted men
Of cristene peple ; 7740
And thow seidest sooth of somme,
Ac se in what manere.

" Tak two stronge men,
And in Themese cast hem,
And bothe naked as a nedle,
Her noon sikerer than oother ;
That oon hath konnynge and kan
Swymmen and dyven ;
That oother is lewed of that labour,
That lerned nevere swymme ;
Which trowestow of tho two 7751
That is in moost drede P
He that nevere ne dyved,
Ne noght kan of swymmyng ?
Or the swymmere that is saaf
By so hymself like,
Ther his felawe fleteth forth
As the flood liketh,
And is in drede to drenche,
That nevere dide swymme ? "

" That swymme kan noght,," I
" It semeth to my wittes." [seide,

238 THE VISION OF

" Bight so," quod the renk. 7763
" Reson it sheweth,
That he that knoweth clergie
Kan sonner arise
Out of synne, and be saaf,
Though he synne ofte,
If hym liketh and lest,
Than any lewed leelly.
For if the clerk be konnynge,
'He knoweth what is synne, [sion
And how contricion withoute confes-
Conforteth the soule ; 7774
As thow seest in the Sauter,
In Salmes oon or tweyne,
How contricion is comended,
For it cacheth awey synne.
Beati quorum remma sunt iniqui-
tates, et quorum tecta sunt, etc.

" And this conforteth ech a clerk,
And covereth hym fro wanhope.
In which flood the fend
Fondeth a man hardest.
Ther the lewed lith stille, 7785
And loketh after lente, [to shrifte,
And hath no contricion er he come
And thanne kan he litel telle,
But as his lores-man lereth hym
Bileveth and troweth ; [preest,
And that is after person or parissh
The whiche ben peraventure
Unkonnynge to lere lewed men,
As Luc bereth witnesse :
Bum ccBcm ducit caeum, etc.

" Wo was hym marked 7796

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 239

That wade moot with the lewed !

Wei may the barn blesse that man

That hym to book sette,

That lyvynge after lettrure

Saveth hym lif and soule.

Dominus pars hereditatis mea,

Is a murye verset,

That hath take fro Tybourne

Twenty stronge theves ;

Ther lewed theves ben lolled np,

Loke how thei be saved.

" Thethef that hadde grace of God
On Good-friday, as thow spekest,
Was for he yald hym creaunt to

Crist on the cros,
And knewliched hym gilty,
And grace asked of God,
That to graunten it is redy
To hem that buxomliche biddeth it,
And ben in wille to amenden.
Ac though that theef hadde hevene,
He hadde noon heigh blisse,
As seint Johan and othere seintes
That deserved hadde bettre.

"Eight as som man yeve me mete,
And a-mydde the floor sette me,
And hadde mete moore than y-
nough,

Ac noght so nmche worshipe

As tho that seten at the syde table,

Or with the sovereynes of the halle ;

But sete as a beggere bord-lees

By myself on the grounde.

So it fareth by that felon 7828

240 THE VISION OF

That a Grood-friday was saved. 7829
He sit neither with seint Johan,
Symond ne Jude,

Ne with maydenes ne with martires,
Confessours ne wydewes ;
But by hymself as a soleyn,
And served on erthe.
For he that is ones a thef
Is evere moore in daunger,
And, as lawe liketh,
To lyve or to deye.
Be peccato propitiato, noli esse sine
metu.

And for to serven a seint
And swich a thef togideres,
It were neither reson ne right
To rewarde hem bothe y-liche.

" And right as Trojanus the trewe
Dwelte noght depe in helle, [knyght
That oure Lord ne hadde hym lightly
So leve I the thef be in hevene. [out,
For he is in the loweste of hevene,
If oure bileve be trewe ; 7851
And wel loselly he lolleth there,
By the lawe of holy chirche.
Qui reddit unicuique juxta opera
sua, etc.

" And why that oon theefion the
Creaunt hym yald [cros
Bather than that oother theef,
Though thow woldest appose,
Alle the clerkes under Crist
Ne kouthe the skile assoille.
Quare placuit, quia voluit. 78«s

Digi

PIJERS PLOUGHMAN. 241

" And so I seye by thee 7863
That sekest after the whyes,
And a-resonedest Beson
A rebukynge as it were ;
And of the floures in the fryth,
And of hire faire hewes,
Wherof thei cacche hir colours
So clere and so brighte ;
And wiliest of briddes and of beestes,
And of hir bredyng, to knowe,
Whysomebea-lough and some a-loft,
Thi likyng it were ;
And of the stones and of the sterf es
Thow studiest, as I leve ;
How evere beest outher brid
Hath so breme wittes.

" Clergie ne kynde wit
Ne knew nevere the cause ;
Ac kynde knoweth the cause hym-
And no creature ellis. [self,
He is the pies patron,
And putteth it in hir ere
There the thorn is thikkest 7885
To buylden and brede.
And kynde kenned the peook
To cauken in swich a kynde ;
And kenned Adam
To knowe his pryve' membres,
And taughte hym and Eve
To helien hem with leves.

" Lewed men many tymes
Maistres thei apposen,
Why Adam ne hiled noght first
His mouth that eet the appul, 7896
16

Digitized by

242 TEE VISION OF

Bather than his likame a-logh ;
Lewed asken thus clerkes.

" Kynde knoweth whihe dide so,
Ac no clerk ellis,
Ac of briddes and of beestes
Men by olde tyme
Ensamples token and termes,
As telleth the poetes ;
And that the faireste fowel
Foulest engendreth,
And feblest fowel of flight is
That fleeth or swymmeth ; 7908
And that the pecok and the pehen
Proude riche men bitokneth ;
For the pecok, and men pursue hym,
May noght flee heighe,
For the trailynge of his tail
Overtaken is he soone,
And his flessh is foul flessh,
And his feet bothe,
And un-lovelich of ledene,
And looth for to here.

" Eight so the riche, 7919
If he his richesse kepe,
And deleth it noght til his deeth-day,
The tail of alle sorwe
Bight so as the pennes of the pecok
Peyneth hym in his flight.
So is possession peyne
Of pens and of nobles,
To alle hem that it holdeth,
Til hir tail be plukked. [thanne

"And though the riche repente
And bi-rewe the tyme 7930

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 243

That evere he gadered so grete, 7931

And gaf therof so litel ;

Though he crye to Crist thanne

With kene wil, I leve,

His ledene be in oure Lordes ere

Lik a pies chiteryng.

And whan his caroyne shal come

In cave to be buryed,

I leve it flawme ful foule

The fold al aboute,

And alle the othere ther it lith

Envenymeth thorugh his attre.

" By the po feet is understande,
As I have lerned in Avynet,
Executours false frendes
That fulfille noght his wille
That was writen and thei witnesse
To werche right as it wolde.
Thus the poetepreveththat the pecok
For hise fetheres is reverenced,
Right so is the riche
By reson of hise goodes.

" The larke, that is a lasse fowel,
Is moore lovehch of ledene,
And wel a wey of wynge
Swifter than the pecok,
And of flessh by fele fold
Fatter and swetter ;
To lowe libbynge men
The larke. is resembled. -

" Aristotle the grete clerk
Swiche tales he teUeth.
Thus he likneth in his logik
The leeste fowel oute, 7964

244 THE VISION OF

And wheither he be saaf or noght
The sothe woot no clergie, [saaf
Ne of Sortes ne of Salomon
No scripture kan telle.
Ac God is so good, I hope,
That siththe he gaf hem wittes
To wissen us weyes therwith
That wissen us to be saved,
And the bettre for hir bokes
To bidden we ben holden,
That God for his grace
Gyve hir soules reste. 7976
For lettred men were lewed men yet,
Ne were loore of hir bokes."
" AUe thise clerkes," quod I tho,

" That in Crist leven,

Seven in hir sermons

That neither Sarsens ne Jewes

Ne no creature of Cristes liknesse

Withouten cristendom worth saved."
" Contra" quod Ymaginatif thoo,

And comsed for to loure ;

And seide "Salvabitur 7987

Fixjnstus in die judicii.

Ergo salvdbttur" quod he,

And seide na-moore Latyn.
" Trojanus was a trewe knyght,

And took nevere Cristendom,

And he is saaf, so seith the book,

And his soule in hevene.

For ther is fullynge of font,

And fullynge in blood shedyng,

And thorugh fir is fullyng,

And that is ferme bileve. 7998

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 245

Advenit ignis divinus turn combu-
rens, sed Muminans, etc.
" Ac Truthe that trespased
nevere,

Ne traversed ayeins his lawe,
But lyveth as his lawe techeth,
And leveth ther be no bettre ;
And if ther were, he wolde amende,
And in swich wille deieth,
Ne wolde nevere trewe god,
But truthe were allowed, [worth,
And wheither it be worth or noght
The bileve is gret of truthe, 8010
And an hope hangynge therinne
To have a mede for his truthe.
For Dew dicUur quasi dans vitam

aternam suis, hoc est fidelibus.

Et alibi: Si ambulavero in

medio umbra mortis.
" The glose graunteth upon that vers
A greet mede to Truthe,
And witand wisdom,"quod that wye,
" Was som tyme tresor
To kepe with a commune, 8021
No catel was holde bettre,
And muche murthe and manhod ; "
And right with that he vanysshed.

Digitized by VI

Passus Decimus Tertius, etc.

£ND I awaked therwith 8025
Wit-lees ner-hande,
And as a freke that fre were
Forth gan I walke
In manere of a mendinaunt
Many a yer after,
And of thi3 metyng many tyme
Muche thought I hadde.

First how Fortune me failed
At my mooste nede ;
And how that Elde manaced me,
Myghte we evere mete ; 8036
And how that freres folwede
Folk that was riche,
And folk that was povere
At litel pris thei sette ;
And no corps in hir kirk-yerde
Nor in his kirk was buryed,
But quik he biquethe aught
To quyte with hir dettes ;
And how this Coveitise over-corn
Clerkes and preestes ;
And how that lewed men ben lad,
But oure Lord hem helpe, 8048

i Google

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 247

Thorugh un-konnynge curatours,
To incurable peynes.

And how that Ymaginatif
In dremels me tolde
Of Kynde and of his konnynge,
And how curteis he is to bestes,
And how lovynge he is to briddes
On londe and on watre.
Leneth he no lif
Lasse ne moore.
The creatures that crepen
Of kynde ben engendred. 8060
And sithen how Ymaginatif seide,
Vix sahabitur ;
And whan he hadde seid so,
How sodeynliche he passed.

I lay doun longe in this thoght,
And at the laste I slepte.
And as Crist wolde, ther com Con-
To conforte me that tyme, [science
And bad me come to his court,
With Clergie sholde I dyne ;
And for Conscience of Clergie spak,
I com wel the rather.
And there I seigh a maister,
What man he was I nyste,
That lowe louted
And loveliche to Scripture.

Conscience knew hym wel,
And welcomed hym faire.
Thei wesshen and wipeden,
And wenten to the dyner.
And Pacience in the paleis stood
In pilgrymes clothes, 8082

Digitized by

248 THE VISION OF

And preyde mete par chariU 8088
For a povere heremyte.

Conscience called hym in,
And curteisliche seide,
" Welcome ! wye ; go and wasshe ;
Thow shalt sitte soone."

This maister was maad sitte,
As for the mooste worthi.
And thanne Clergie and Conscience
And Pacience cam after.

Pacience and I
Were put to be macches, 8094
And seten bi oureselve
At the side borde.

Conscience called after mete ;
And thanne cam Scripture,
And served hem thus soone
Of sondry metes manye,
Of Austyn, of Ambrose,
And of the foure Euvangelistes,
. Edentis et bibentes qua apud eos
stmt.

Ac this maister nor his man sios
No maner flesshe eten ;
Ac thei eten mete of moore cost,
Mortrews and potages
Of that men mys-wonne
Thei made hem wel at ese.
Ac hir sauce was over sour,
And unsavourly grounde
In a morter post mortem
Of many a bitter peyne,
But if thei synge for tho soules,
And wepe salte teris. 8ii«

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 249

Vos quipeccata hominum comeditis,

nisi pro eis lammas et ora-

tiones effunderitis, ea qua in

deliciis comeditis, in tormentis

evometis.
Conscience ful curteisly tho
Comaunded Scripture
Bifore Pacience breed to brynge
And me that was his macche.
He sette a sour loof to-forn us,
And seide, " agite panitentiam"
" As longe," quod I, " as I lyve,
And lycame may dure."
" Here is propre service," quod

Pacience,
" Ther fareth no prince bettre,"
And thanne he broughte us forth

a mees of oother mete,
Of Miserere mei, Deus, [quorum,
And he broughte us of Beati
Of Beatus-virres makyng.
Et quorum tecta sunt peccata in a

disshe, [tibi.
Of derne shrifte Dixi et confitebor
" Bryng Pacience som pitaunce,"
Pryveliche quod Conscience.
And thanne hadde Pacience a

pitaunce.
Pro hoc orabit ad te omnis sanctus

in tempore oportuno.
And Conscience conforted us,
And carped us murye tales.
Cor contritum et humiliatum Deus

non despieies. 8146

250 THE VISION OF

Pacience was proud 8H7
Of that propre service,
And made hym murthe with his
Ac I mornede evere, [mete ;

For this doctour on the heighe dees
Drank wyn so faste.
Vce wbis qui potentes estis ad bi-

bendum vinum !
He eet manye sondry metes,
Mortrews and puddynges,
Wombe-cloutes and wilde brawen,
And egges y-fryed with grece.

Thanne seide I to myself so
Pacience it herde,

" It is noght foure dayes that this
Bifore the deen of Ponies [freke
Preched of penaunces
That Poul the apostle suffrede,
In fame et f rigor e
And flappes of scourges. ,,
Ter casus sum, et a Judeis quinquies
quadragenaSy etc,

Ac o word thei over-huppen
At ech a tyme that thei preche,
That Poul in his Pistle
To al the peple tolde :
Periculum est in falsisfratribus.

Holi writ bit men be war,
I wol noght write it here
In Englisshe, on aventure
It sholde be reherced to ofte,
And greve therwith goode men,
Ac gramariens shul redde.
Unusquisque afratre se custodiat,

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 251

quia, ut dicitur, periculum eat

in falsis fratribus.
Ac I wiste nevere freke that as a

frere yede
Bifore men on Englisshe
Taken it for his teme,
And telle it withouten glosyng.
They prechen that penaunce is
Profitable to the soule,
And what meschief and male ese
Crist for man tholede.

"Ac this Goddes gloton," quod I,
" With hise grete chekes,
Hath no pite on us povere,
He perfourneth yvele ;
That he precheth he preveth noght,"
To Pacience I tolde,
And wisshed ful witterly,
With wille ful egre,
That disshes and doublers
Bifore this ilke doctour
Were molten leed in his mawe,
And Mahoun amyddes. 8202
" I shal jangle to this-jurdan
With his juste wombe,
To telle me what penaunce is,
Of which he preched rather."
Pacience perceyved what I

thoughte,
And wynked on me to be stille,
And seide, "Thow shalt see thus

soone,

Whan he may na-moore,
He shal have a penaunce in his
paunche, 8211

252 THE VISION OF

And puffe at ech a worde ; 8212

And thanne shullen his guttes go-

And he shal galpen after. [thele,

For now he hath dronken so depe,

He wole devyne soone,

And preven it by hir Pocalips

And passion of seint Avereys,

That neither bacon ne braun,

Blancmanger ne mortrews,

Is neither fissh nor flesshe,

But fode for a penaunt [Trinity

And thanne shal he testifie of the

And take his felawe to witnesse,

What he fond in a frayel,

After a freres lyvyng ;

And but he first lyve be lesyng,

Leve me nevere after.

And thanne is tyme to take,

And to appose this doctour

Of Do-wel and Do-bet,

And if Do-wel be any penaunce."

And I sat stille, as Pacience seide,
And thus soone this doctour, 8334
As rody as a rose,
Bubbede hise chekes,
Coughed and carped ;
And Conscience hym herde,
And tolde hym of a Trinity,
And toward us he loked. [quod I,

" What is Do-wel, sire doctour ? "
v " Is it any penaunce ? "

"Do-wel," quod this doctour,
And took the cuppe and drank,
"Is do noon yvel to thyn even-
cristen 82**

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN, 253

Nought by thi power." [quod I,
" By this day ! sire doctour,"
" Thanne be ye noght in Do-wel;
For ye ban banned us two,
In that ye eten the puddyng,
Mortrews and oother mete,
And we no morsel hadde.
And if ye fare so in youre fermerye,
Ferly me thynketh,
But cheeste be ther charity sholde be.
And yonge children dorste pleyne,
I wolde permute my penaunce with
youre, 8257

For I am in point to Do-wel."

Thanne Conscience curteisly
A contenaunce made,
And preynte upon Pacience
To preie me to be stille ;
And seide hymself, " Sire doctour,
And it be youre wille,
What is Do-wel and Do-bet,
Ye dyvynours knoweth."

" Do-wel," quod this doctour,
" Do as clerkes techeth ;
And Do-bet is he that techeth,
And travailleth to teche othere ;
And Do-best doth hymself so,
As he seith and precheth."
Quifacit et docuerit, magnus voca-
bitur in regno ceelorum.
" Now thow, Clergie," quod Con-
" Carpest what is Do-wel. [science.
I have sevene sones," he seide,
" Serven in a castel, 8278

Digitized by

Google

254 THE VISION OF

Ther the lord of lif wonyeth, 8279

To leren what is Do-wel ;

Til I se tho sevene

And myself acorde,

I am un-hardy," quod he,

" To any wight to preven it.

For oon Piers the Plowman

Hath impugned us alle,

And set alle sciences at a sope,

Save love one ;

And no text ne taketh

To mayntene his cause, 8290

But Dilige Deum,

And Domine quis habitabit.

And seith that Do-wel and Do-bet

Arn two infinites,

Whiche infinite's, with a feith !

Fynden out Do-best,

Which shal save mannes soule ;

Thus seith Piers the Plowman."

" I kan noght heron," quod Con-
" Ac I knowe wel Piers ; [science,
He wol noght ayein holy writ speken,
I dar wel undertake.
Thanne passe we over til Piers come,
And preve this in' dede.
Pacience hath be in many place,
And peraunter mouthed
That no clerk ne kan,
As Crist bereth witnesse :
Paiientes vincunt, etc." [tho,

"Acyoure preiere," quod Pacience
" So no man displese hym.
Disce" quo he, " Doce, 8312

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 255

Dilige inimicos. 8313

Di8ce, and Do-wel ;

Doce, and Do-bet ;

Dilige, and Do-best ;

Thus taughte me ones

A lemman that I lovede,

Love was hir name : [quod she,

"With wordes and with werkes,"

" And wil of thyn herte,

Thow love leelly thi soule

Al thi Hf tyme,

And so thow lere the to lovye,
For oure Lordes love of hevene,
Thyn enemy in alle wise
Evene forth with thiselve.
Cast coles on his heed
Of alle kynde speche,
Bothe with werkes and with wordes
Fonde his love to wynne ;
And leye on him thus with love,
Til he laughe on the.
And but he bowe for this betyng,
Blynd mote he worthe. 8335
" Acfor to fare thus with thi frend,
Folie it were.*

For he that loveth thee leelly,

Litel of thyne coveiteth.

Kynde love coveiteth noght

No catel but speche.

With halfe a laumpe lyne,

In Latyn, Ex vi tramitionw,

I bere therinne aboute

Faste y-bounde Do-wel,

In a signe of the Saterday 8346

Digitized by

256 THE VISION OF

That sette first the kalender, 8347
And al the wit of the Wodnesday
Of the nexte wike after,
The myddel of the moone,
As the nyght of bothe,
And herwith am I welcome
Ther I have it with me,

" Undo it, lat this doctour deme
If Do-wel be therinne.
For, by hym that me made !
Myghte nevere poverte
Misese ne meschief, 8368
Ne no man with his tonge,
Coold ne care,
Ne compaignye of theves,
Ne neither hete ne hayl,
Ne noon helle pouke,
Ne fuyr ne flood,
Ne feere of thyn enemy,
Tene thee any tyme,
And thow take it with the.
Caritas nihil timet, etc."

"It is but a dido," quod this doc-
" A disours tale ; [tour,
Al the wit of this world,
And wight mennes strengthe,
Kan noght conformen a pees
Bitwene and hise enemys,
Ne bitwene two cristene kynges
Kan no wight pees make
Profitable to either peple
And putte the table fro hym,
And took Clergie and Conscience
To conseil, as it were, 83 so

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 257

That Pacience thow most passe,
For pilgrymes konne wel lye."

Ac Conscience carped loude,
And curteisliche seide,
"Frendes, fareth wel;"
And faire spak to Clergie,
" For I wol go with this gome,
If God wol yeve me grace,
And be pilgrym with Pacience,
Til I have preved moore."

"What!" quod Clergie to Con-
" Ar ye coveitous nouthe [science,
After yeres-geves, or giffces,
Or yernen to rede redels ?
I shal brynge yow a Bible,
A book of the olde lawe,
And lere yow, if yow like,
The leeste point to knowe,
That Pacience the pilgrym
Parfitly knew nevere." [science

"Nay, by Crist!" quod Con-
To Clergie, " God thee for-yelde ;
For al that Pacience me profreth
Proud am I litel.
Ac the wil of the wye,
And the wil of folk here,
Hath meved my mood
To moorne for my synnes.
The goode wil of a wight
Was nevere bought to the fiille.
For ther nys no tresour, for sothe,
To a trewe wille.

" Hadde noght Maudeleyne
For a box of salve, [moore
17

Digitized by

253 THE VISION OF

Than Zacheus for he seide uib
Dimidium bonorum meorum do

pauperibus ?
And the poore widewe
For a peire of mytes,
Than alle tho that offrede
Into gazophilacium ?"

Thus curteisliche Conscience
Congeyed first the frere,
And sithen softeliche he seide
In Clergies ere,

" Me were levere, by oure Lord !
And I lyve sholde,
Have pacience perfitliche,
Than half thi pak of bokes

Clergie of Conscience
No congie wolde take,
But seide ful sobreliche,
" Thow shalt se the tyme
Whan thow art wery of-walked,
WiJle me to counseille."

"That is sooth," quod Con-
" So me God helpe ! [science,
If Pacience be oure partyng felawe,
And pryve with us bothe,
Ther nys wo in this world
That we ne sholde amende,
And conformen kynges to pees,
And alle kynnes londes ;
Sarsens and Surr^,
And so forth alle the Jewes,
Turne into the trewe feith,
And intil oon bileve."

" That is sooth," quod Clergie,

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN, 259

" I se what thow menest ; 8449

I shal dwelle as I do,

My devoir to shewe,

And confermen fauntekyns,

And oother folk y-lered,

Til Pacience have preved thee,

And parfit thee maked."

Conscience tho with Pacience
Pilgrymes as it were. [passed,
Thanne hadde Pacience, as pil-
In his poke vitailles, [grymes han,
Sobretee* and symple speche, 8460
And soothfast bileve,
To conforte hym and Conscience,
If thei come in place
There nn-kyndenesse and coveitiseis,
Hungry contrees bothe.

And as the wente by the weye,
Of Do-wel thei carped ;
Thei mette with a mynstral,
As me tho thonghte.
Pacience apposed hym first.
And preyde he sholde hem telle
To Conscience what craft he kouthe,
And to what contree he wolde.

" I am a mynstrall," quod that
" My name is Activa-vita ; [man,
Al ydelnesse ich hatie,
For of actif is my name ;
A wafrer, wol ye wite,
And serve manye lordes,
And fewe robes I fonge,
Or furrede gownes.
Couthe I lye to do men laughe,

260 THE VISION OF

Thanne lacchen I sholde 8*83

Outlier mantel or moneie

Amonges lordes or mynstrals.

Ac for I kan neither taboure ne

Ne telle no gestes, [trompe,

Farten ne fithelen

At festes, ne harpen,

Jape ne jogele,

Ne gentilliche pipe,

Ne neither saille ne saute,

Ne synge with the gyterne,

I have no goode giftes • 8494

Of thise grete lordes.

For no breed that I brynge forth,

Save a benyson on the Sonday

Whan the preest preieth the peple

Hir pater-noster to bidde

For Piers the Plowman,

And that hym profit waiten ;

And that am I actif,

That ydelnesse hatie ;

For alle trewe travaillours

And tiliers of the erthe, 8606

Fro Mighelmesse to Mighelmesse

I fynde hem with my wafres.

" Beggeris and bidderis
Of my breed craven,
Faitours and freres,
And folk with brode crounes.
I fynde payn for the pope,
And provendre for his palfrey ;
And I hadde nevere of hym,
Have God my trouthe !
Neither provendre ne personage

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 261

Yet of popes gifte, 8517

Save a pardon with a peis of leed

And two polles amyddes.

Hadde ich a clerc that couthe write,

I wolde caste hym a bille,

That he sente me under his seel

A salve for the pestilence,

And that his blessynge and hise

Bocches myghte destruye. [bulles

In nomine meo damonia ejicient, et
super aegros manus imponent, et
bene Jiabebunt. 8528
" And thanne wolde I be prest to

Paast for to make, [the peple

And buxom and busy

Aboute breed and drynke

For hym and for alle hise,

Founde I that his pardon

Mighte lechen a man,

As I bileve it sholde.

For sith he hath the power

That Peter hymself hadde,

He hath the pot with the salve,

Soothly as me thynketh.

Argentum et aurum non est mihi ;
quod autem habeo tibi do: in
nomine Domini surge et am-
bula.

"Ac if myght of myracle hym faille,
It is for men ben noght worthi
To have the grace of God,
And no gilt of pope.
For may no blessynge doon us boote,
But if we wile amende, 8550

262 THE VISION OF

Ne mannes masse make pees 8551

Among cristene peple,

Til pride be pureliche for-do,

And thorugh payn defaute.

For er I have breed of mele,

Oft moot I swete ; [y-nough,

And er the commune have corn

Many a cold morwenyng.

So er my wafres be y-wroght,

Muche wo I tholye.

" At Londone, I leve,
Liketh wel my wafres ; 8562
And louren whan thei lakken hem.
It is noght longe y-passed,
There was a careful commune,
Whan no cart com to towne
With breed fro Stratforde ;
Tho gonnen beggeris wepe,
And werkmen were agast a lite ;
This wole be thought longe.
In the date of oure Drighte,
In a drye Aprille,

A thousand and thre hundred 8573
Twies twenty and ten,
My wafres there were gesene
Whan Chichestre was maire."

I took good kepe, by Crist !
And Conscience bothe,
Of Haukyn the actif man,
And how he was y-clothed.
He hadde a cote of Cristendom,
As holy kirke bileveth ;
Ac it was moled in many places
With manye sondry plottes ; 8584

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 263

Of pride here a plot, 8585

And there a plot of unbuxomespeche,

Of scornyng and of scoflyng,

And of unskilful berynge,

As in apparaill and in porte

Proud amonges the peple,

Oother wise than he hym hath

With herte or sighte shewynge,

Hym willyng that alle men wende

He were that he is noght.

For-why he bosteth and braggeth

With manye bolde othes, 859c

And inobedient to ben undernome

Of any lif lyvynge ;

And noon so singuler by hymself,

Ne so pomp holy,

Y-habited as an heremyte,

An ordre by hymselve,

Religion saunz rule

Or resonable obedience,

Lakkynge lettrede men

And lewed men bothe

In likynge of lele lif, 8607

And a Here in soule,

With inwit and with outwit

Ymagynen and studie,

As best for his body be

To have a badde name,

And entremetten hym over al

Ther he hath noght to doone,

Willynge that men wende

His wit were the beste. [gomes,

And if he gyveth ought to povere

Telle what he deleth, 8618

264 THE VISION OF

Povere of possession in purs 8619

And in cofre bothe.

And as a lyoun on to loke,

And lordlich of speche,

Boldest of beggeris,

A bostere that nognt hath,

In towne and in tavernes

Tales to telle, [seigh,

And segge thyng that he nevere

And for sothe sweren it,

Of dedes that he nevere dide

Demen and bosten, 8630

And of werkes that he wel dide

Witnesse, and siggen —

" Lo ! if ye leve me noght,

Or that I lye wenen,

Asketh at hym or at hym,

And he yow kan telle

What I suflrede and seigh

And som tymes hadde,

And what I kouthe and knew,

And what kyn I com of."

Al he wolde that men wiste 8641

Of werkes and of wordes

Which myghte plese the peple,

And preisen hymselve.

Si hominibus placerem, Christi
servm non essem. Et alibi:
Nemo potest duobm dominis
servire.

" By Crist !" quod Conscience tho,
" Thi beste cote, Haukyn,
Hath manye moles and spottes,
It moste ben y-wasshe." 8662

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PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 265

" Ye, who so toke hede," quod
" Bihynde and bifore, [Haukyn,
What on bak and what on body half,
And by the two sydes,
Men sholde fynde manye frounces,
And manye foule plottes."

And he torned hym as tyd,
And thanne took I hede,
It was fouler bi fele fold
Than it first semed.
It was bi-dropped with wrathe
And wikkede wille, 8664
With envye and yvel speche,
Entisynge to fighte,
Liynge and laughynge,
And leve tonge to chide,
Al that he wiste wikked
By any wight tellen it,
And blame men bihynde hir bak,
And bidden hem meschaunce,
And that he wiste by Wille
Tellen it Watte,

And that Watte wiste 8675
Wille wiste it after,
And made of frendes foes
Thorugh a fals tonge,
Or with myght or with mouth,
Or thorugh mennes strengthe
Avenge me fele tymes,
Other frete myselve
Withinne as a shepsteres shere,
Y-sherewed man and cursed.
Cujus maledictione os plenum est
et amaritudine, sub lingua ejus

Digitized by

266 THE VISION OF

labor et dolor. M alibi : Filii
kominum, denies eorum arma
et sagitta, et lingua eorum
gladius acutus.
" Ther is no lif that me loveth

Lastynge any while ;

For tales that I telle,

No man trusteth to me.

And whan I may noght have the

Swich malencolie I take, [maistrie,
•That I cacche the crampe,

And the cardiacle som tyme, 8698

Or an ague in swich an angre,

And som tyme a fevere

That taketh me al a twelve monthe,

Til that I despise

Lechecraft of oure Lord,

And leve on a wicche,

And seye that no clerc ne kan,

Ne Crist, as I leve,

To the sontere of Southwerk,

Or of Shordyche dame Emme ;

And seye that no Goddes word

Gaf me nevere boote,

But thorugh a charme hadde I

And my chief heele." [chaunce
I waitede wisloker,

And thanne was it soilled

With likynge of lecherie,

As by lokynge of his eighe.

For ech a maide that he mette

He made hire a signe

Semynge to synne-warde,

And some tyme he gan taste 8720

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 267

Aboute the mouth, or bynethe 8721
Bigynneth to grope,
Til eitheres wille wexeth kene,
And to the werke yeden,
As wel in fastyng dayes and Fridaies
As forboden nyghtes,
And as wel in Lente as out of Lente,
Alle tymes y-liche.
Swiche werkes with hem
Were nevere out of seson,
Til thei myghte na-moore ;

And how that lecchours lovye
Laughen and japen,
And of hir harlotrye and boredom
In hir elde tellen.

Thanne Pacience perceyved
Of pointes of this cote,
That were colomy thorugh coveitise
And unkynde desiryng ;
Moore to good than to God
The gome his love caste,
And ymagynede how 8743

He it myghte have
With false mesures and met,
And with fals witnesse ;
Lened for love of the wed,
And looth to do truthe ;
And awaited thorugh which
Wey to bigile,

And menged his marchaundise,

And made a good moustre ;

" The worste withinne was,

A greet wit I let it, 8754

And thanne murye tales,

8732

Digitized by

Google

268 THE VISION OF

And if my neghebore hadde any

Or any beest elfis, [hyne.

Moore profitable than myn,

Manye sleightes I made

How I myghte have it,

Al my wit I caste.

And but I it hadde by oother wey,

At the laste I stale it ;

Or priveliche his purs shook,

And unpikede hise lokes ;

Or by nyghte or by daye

Aboute was ich evere, 8766

Thorugh gile to gaderen

The good that ich have.

" If I yede to the plowgh,
I pynched so narwe,
That a foot lond or a forow
Fecchen I wolde
Of my nexte neghebore,
And nymen of his erthe.
And if I repe, over-reche,
Of yaf hem reed that ropen
To seise to me with hir sikel 8777
That I ne sew nevere.

" And who so borwed of me,
A-boughte the tyme
With presentes prively,
Or paide som certeyn ;
So he wolde or noght wolde,
Wynnen I wolde,
And bothe to kith and to kyn
Unkynde of that ich hadde.

"And who so cheped my chaffare,
Chiden I wolde, * 8788

Digitized by

PIERS PLOUGHMAN. 269

But he profrede to paie 8789

A peny or tweyne

Moore than it was worth ;

And yet wolde I swere

That it coste me muche moore,

And so swoor manye othes.

" On holy daies at holy chirche
Whan ich herde masse,
Hadde I nevere wille, woot God,
Witterly to biseche
Mercy for my mysdedes,
That I ne moorned moore 8800
Nor losse of good, leve me,
Than for my likames giltes.
As if I hadde dedly synne doon,
v I dredde noght that so soore,
As when I lened, and leved it lost,
Or longe er it were paied.
So if I kidde any kyndenesse
Myn even cristen to helpe,
Upon a cruwel coveitise
Myn herte gan hange.

" And if I sente over see 8811
My servauntz to Brugges,
Or into Pruce-lond my prentis,
My profit to waiten,
To marchaunden with moneie,
And maken hire eschaunges,
Mighte nevere me conforte.
In the mene while
Neither masse ne matynes,
Ne none maner sightes ;
Ne nevere penaunce peifournede,
Ne pater-noster seide, 8822

Digitized by

270 THE VISION OF

That my mynde ne was moore 8823

On my good in a doute,

Than in the grace of God,

And hise grete helpes.

Ubi timmrus turn, ibi et cor tuum.

" Whiche ben the brannches
That bryngen a man to sleuthe ?
He that moorneth noght for hise
Ne maketh no sorwe, [mysdedes,
And penaunce that the preest en-
Perfourneth yvele, [joyneth
Dooth noon almesse, 8834
Dred hym of no synne,
Lyveth ayein the bileve,
Arid no lawe holdeth,
Ech day is holy day with hym,
Or an heigh ferye ;
And, if he aught wole here,
It is an harlotes tonge.
Whan men carpen of Crist,
Or of clennesse of soules,
He wexeth wroth and wolnoght here
But wordes of murthe ; 8845
Penaunce of povere men,
And the passion of seintes,
He hateth to here therof,
And alle that it telleth.
Thise ben the braunches, beth war,
That bryngen a man to wanhope.

" Ye lordes and ladies,
And legates of holy chirche,
That fedeth fooles sages,
Flatereris and lieris,
And han likynge to lithen hem

Digitized by

riERS PLOUGHMAN. 271

To do vow to laughe, 8857

V<b vobis qui ridetis, etc.

And gyveth hem mete and mede,

And povere men refuse ;

In youre deeth deyinge,

I drede me ful soore

Lest tho thre manner men

To muche sorwe yow brynge.

Consentientes et agentea pari poena

punientur.
" Patriarkes and prophetes,
And prechours of Goddes wordes,
Saven thorugh hir sermons
Mannes soule fro helle.
Bight so flatereris and fooles
Arn the fendes disciples
To entice men thorugh hir tales
To synne and to harlotrie.
Ac clerkes, that knowen holy writ,
Sholde kenne lordes
What David seith of swiche men,
As the Sauter telleth.
Non habitabit in medio domm mea,

qui facit superbiam, et qui

loquitur iniqua.
" Sholde noon harlot have au-
Iri halle nor in chambre, [dience
Ther wise men were,
Witnesseth Goddes wordes,
Ne no mys-proud man
Amonges lordes ben allowed.

" Ac flaterers and fooles
Thorugh hir foule wordes
Leden tho that loven hem saw

272 THE VISION.

To Luciferis feste, 8891

With Turpiloquio, a lady of sorwe,

And Luciferis fithele."

Thus Haukyn the actif man

Hadde y-soiled his cote,

Til Conscience acouped hym therof

In a curteis manere,

Why he ne hadde whasshen it,

Or wiped it with a brusshe. 8899

Digitized by VjOC